


Rise of the Black Paladin

by poorrichardslegacy



Series: The Galra Chronicles [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Original Character(s), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 142,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24074632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poorrichardslegacy/pseuds/poorrichardslegacy
Summary: The re-ascension of Zarkon to the throne of the Galra Empire creates strange bedfellows as Prince Lotor teams up with the Paladins. Former allies become enemies as a penultimate battle splinters the Empire. The alliance with the Paladins proves to be beneficial to the new Emperor, who also has eyes for a certain Altean princess. Allura explores her roots and gains valuable skills as an Altean alchemist. Keith and Acxa’s friendship evolves as it takes on elements of a space-based Shakespearian romantic tragedy. The earth-born Paladins send messages back home, Keith makes his own family connections, and the arrival of a visitor triggers a series of events that have consequences across all universes.Posting LogChapters 1 through 4 - 8 May 2020Chapters 5 and 6  - 17 May 2020Chapter 7 - 22 May 2020Chapter 8 - 31 May 2020Chapter 9 - 7 June 2020Chapter 10 - 14 June 2020Chapter 11 - 21 June 2020Chapter 12 - 28 June 2020Chapter 13 - 5 July 2020Chapter 14 - 11 July 2020Chapter 15 - 19 July 2020Chapter 16 - 26 July 2020Chapter 17 - 1  August 2020Chapter 18 and 19 - 8 August 2020This work is complete
Relationships: Acxa/Keith (Voltron), Allura/Lotor (Voltron)
Series: The Galra Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1522115
Comments: 232
Kudos: 91





	1. Foreward to the Book

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Voltron Legendary Defender, nor do I own any of the characters except original characters created for this work. Voltron and its characters are the property of World Entertainment Productions (WEP). Voltron Legendary Defender is a production of DreamWorks. I am making no profit off of this work. This story is an alternate universe created strictly for fun and to explore the possibilities of what could have been.
> 
> IMPORTANT: An awareness-raising note to my readers (present and future). I do not consent to my work being hosted by any third-party site or app. This piece of fanfiction 'Rise of the Black Paladin' (in the series 'The Galra Chronicles') has been posted ONLY in archiveofour own.org under the pseudonym poorrichardslegacy. Please note that this work was written and posted purely for entertainment purposes, and NOT for any monetary gain. This means that you, as the reader, DO NOT have to pay to read this fanfic.  
> Also, if you find this fanfic on any other app or site or under any other name, in whole or in part, it has been reposted without my permission.

When I first sat down to write what would eventually become **The Galra Chronicles** , I made a few decisions regarding what I was going to change in the story of Voltron. Such as bringing Keith to the forefront as the Black Paladin and not have him disappear shortly after he took over the position. Chronicling his rough path from a moody lone wolf to the leader of the greatest fighting machine ever created. Showing the growth and backstories of all the characters. And showing that even the bitterest of enemies have rich and storied traditions.

To do this, I made a few assumptions. The single biggest assumption is the absence of Shiro following Voltron’s climactic battle against Zarkon at the end of VLD Season 2. That single assumption caused dramatic ripple effects and changes throughout the story from that point forward. Change is not always a bad thing.

 **Return of the Prince** (the AU revision to VLD Seasons 3 and 4 by DreamWorks on Netflix), the first work in the series, was written with that assumption in play. **Rise of the Black Paladin** continues that story. It covers the AU revision to VLD Seasons 5 and 6.

In no specific order, here are a few things you may expect to see in this work:

  * The growth of the relationship between Keith and Acxa. Their paths continue to cross, and they continue to guard each other’s backs (intentionally or accidentally, or a bit of both). Something is simmering under the surface between these two, and at some point it’s going to boil over.
  * Lotor and Allura share center stage as their interpersonal dynamic becomes more…personal. To the chagrin of one Paladin in particular.
  * Keith & Lotor. Keith and Lotor share a dynamic (platonic) not shown on Netflix. It’s an interesting, complex, and unpredictable dynamic between two Galra half-breeds.
  * Galra civilization. Specifically, the back story of Galra civilization and the Galra Empire. It is woven throughout the work in digestible amounts, and covers Galra history, family structure, culture, religion, and military.
  * The early years of Hunk Garrett and Lance McClain. Neither of these characters were given much depth in the original VLD universe, and quite honestly they deserve more. Because doggone it Hunk is so cool, and Lance is just…Lance.
  * Not many things in this world are more important than family. Keith is the orphan among the Paladins. He has only fleeting memories of his father, and none of his mother. That’s about to change.
  * Blade of Marmora. Keith continues his Blade of Marmora training under the tutelage of Kolivan…and another Galra elder who has his own secrets to keep.



The flow of this work follows the canonical timeline of VLD, but there is significant material that is either changed or did not appear in the Netflix series.

This story has come a long way from the one-shot I wrote in late December 2018. It’s been a long, and in some ways strange trip, but it’s an experience I would never change. I’ve met several new friends who’ve gone out of their way to offer constructive criticism, and to them I am eternally grateful.

I present this work for your consideration and critique. I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Turn of the Page

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor’s arrival at the Castle of Lions sparks heated discussions between Keith and Allura. The Black Paladin begins to explore what it means to be a Galra/Human half-breed and winds up with far more questions than answers. Kolivan enlists the aid of a trusted subordinate to help Keith understand who he is. The Marmoran Master Chief opens Keith’s eyes to the complexities and nuances of Galra society, and the young Paladin realizes his enemies are not the monolithic monsters the Coalition make them out to be. Discovering that Lotor himself is a half-breed, Keith engages him to learn more about the Galra from his point of view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the bridge chapter between Return of the Prince and Rise of the Black Paladin. It fills in the gaps between the time Lotor surrendered and the Paladins attack on Tragoch (chronicled in Chapter 3). This lays out a lot of key background information, particularly about the Galra Military and the basic underpinnings of Galra society.

**Surrender**

Main Hangar Bay, Castle of Lions

“POWER DOWN YOUR SHIP AND WALK OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!”

Master Chief Meltok, Matt Holt, Captain Olia, and twenty Coalition fighters surround the Sincline ship piloted by Prince Lotor. Outside the Castle of Lions, Voltron stands at the ready in the event Lotor tries to pull off any tricks and escape the Castle.

Arms raised, Lotor cautiously exits the ship. Eyeing him suspiciously, a still-masked Meltok knows they must move quickly. “Olia, take his sidearm then step back. Quickly now. Matt, cuff him.”

As Olia and Matt execute their instructions and step back, Meltok contacts Voltron. “We have him. He’s secure…for the moment.”

_“Roger. On our way in.”_

A sly smile crosses Lotor’s face. “We’ve known each other a long time and you still don’t trust me, do you Meltok?”

Meltok points his blaster at Lotor’s heart. “What do you think, Lotor? I’ve been burned by you too many times. Not today.”

“You needn’t worry, Master Chief. I left my matches at home.”

Meltok is more than happy to get into a taunting match with the Prince. “Funny…I didn’t think you had a home any more.”

Lotor looks down at the floor. A wave of sadness sweeps over him. Having fought Lotor numerous times, Meltok is familiar with many of his tricks. But this time his look appears almost…sincere.

“I don’t. Not anymore. Thanks to my father. And that _witch_.” The venom drips from his voice as he utters the word witch.

Bursting into the room all at once, the Paladins immediately break out their Bayard weapons at the sight of Lotor. All except Keith, who draws his Marmoran blade.

Allura approaches Lotor, eyes blazing. If looks could kill, he would be dead ten times over. “You have a lot to answer for, Lotor!”

“That is why I’m here, Princess. To offer answers, and my support against my father and his evil regime.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend? Is that it Lotor? You help us, we take out Zarkon, you’re back on the throne, and then you’re done with us? Is that your game?”

“No. Give me some credit for common sense…Keith is it? That game is so predictable a Galra toddler could figure it out. I am sincere in my desire to aid you in your fight against my father. We have more in common than you realize.”

“I highly doubt that. We’ll talk later.” Keith turns to Allura and Coran. “We need to secure him and then decide what we do next. Coran, do we have a secure facility on the Castle?”

“Yes. We have a maximum-security brig. We’ll scan him to make sure he doesn’t have any hidden weapons and put him there. All we need is a guard contingent.”

“I can help with that. I’ve contacted Kolivan. He is on his way here from Senfama. He’s offering a contingent from the Blade of Marmora to guard him.”

Incensed, Allura turns on Meltok. “What? Galra guarding Galra makes no sense and I won’t have it! Not on my ship!”

Keith sheaths his Blade and snaps at Allura, equally incensed by her comments.

“So, what are you saying, Allura? We turn him over to the Coalition, they do God-knows-what to him and he winds up mysteriously dead? That’s not going to happen either!”

Lotor, watching the scene with amusement, can’t resist joining the conversation. “May I make a suggestion?”

Keith and Allura turn towards Lotor and shout in unison. “NO!”

Meltok and Matt face each other and shrug their shoulders. Matt whispers to Meltok. “Let me try something.”

“Princess, I have an idea. I suggest a joint Blade of Marmora and Coalition guard force. An equal number of Blades to Coalition guarding Lotor at any one time. I’ll lead the Coalition contingent, Meltok can lead the Blade contingent. Meltok and I have worked well together in the past. We can do it again. Master Chief, what do you think?”

“That will work.”

Seemingly forgotten in the entire conversation, Lotor decides to poke a stick in the cages of Allura and Keith. “Finally. See, reasonable people can come to an agreement on a touchy subject.”

The Princess and the Paladin both turn and glare at him.

Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions (One Varga Later)

Keith and Allura report to the Brig for the first interrogation of Lotor. To their surprise, the Prince starts talking before they can ask their first question.

“I suppose you have many questions you want to ask me. So, allow me to save you some time.”

“I am here because my father, Emperor Zarkon, has recovered and is back on the throne. The two of us had what can be generously described as a difference of opinion as to how the Empire should be run. Zarkon wants to continue down the path of conquest and destruction that he’s followed for thousands of decaphoebs.”

Allura is cynical about anything coming out of Lotor’s mouth. “And you expect us to believe you see things differently?”

Lotor is maddeningly unfazed by her attitude and remains cool, calm, and polite. “Yes Princess, and I will prove it. I believe that it’s possible to turn the Empire away from its destructive path and embark on a road that leads to peace and prosperity, in cooperation with our neighbors. It’s time to bury the old ways. Unfortunately, my father doesn’t see it that way. That’s why he removed me from the throne. It’s why he’s so anxious to kill me. I’m a reminder to everyone in the Empire that there is another way of doing things. To Zarkon I am a threat, to him and to his legacy. He wants to eliminate that threat.”

“You really expect us to believe that?”

“Given time and proof Princess, yes I do.”

Keith is less cynical than Allura but is still wary. “Is Zarkon planning any offensive action against the Coalition?”

Lotor turns his gaze directly at Keith. “I don’t know his specific plans, but if I were you I would anticipate he will strike out. You’ve taken a third of his Empire. Trust me, he’ll want it back. It would behoove you to prepare. Naxzela was a target of opportunity, but he didn’t have the benefit of concentration of forces against you. He won’t make that mistake again. Say what you will about Zarkon, he knows how to wage war.”

Allura pulls Keith aside and away from Lotor’s cell. She whispers to not be overheard. “I need to warn the Coalition that Zarkon is coming. We need to prepare. I’ll be back and we can give him a proper interrogation. I would suggest you warn the other Paladins.”

“Agreed. I’m going to stick around for a moment. I have a few more questions for him.”

“Fine. Let me know if he says anything useful.” She turns to leave, stops, and looks back at Keith. “Be careful with him. There are grains of truth in what he says, but they are surrounded by misdirection. The trick facing us is finding the truth in the smokescreens.”

“Understood. I’ll check in with you shortly.”

With Allura departed and out of earshot, Keith turns back to his prisoner. “I have one more question for you, Lotor. Where are your Generals?”

Lotor suspiciously and carefully studies Keith’s body language. “Why do you ask? What are they to you?”

“Four very dangerous Generals serving the Galra Empire. That’s what they are to me.”

“Is that so?” Lotor continues to watch Keith carefully. “You needn’t worry about them. They’ve been declared enemies of the Empire, just as I have. Oh, and there’s only three of them now.”

“Three?” Keith’s heart stops momentarily, and he swallows hard.

“Yes.”

“Which one…” Keith stops breathing while he waits for Lotor’s reply.

Lotor smirks and takes his time responding. “…died? Narti. The deaf-mute one.”

Keith begins to breathe again. “What happened to Acxa…and the other two?”

“Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor betrayed me. Acxa, my Chief of Staff, shot me. Stunned me. They were going to turn me in to Zarkon in exchange for reinstatement into the Galra military. I escaped and got away from them. They are out there in space somewhere. Hiding, I suppose.”

Keith assumes a stone face, but internally he is upset that Narti is dead and Acxa is being hunted by the Galra. “Acxa shot you, huh? I always believed she was the smart one of that bunch. So, she’s…they’re being hunted?”

Lotor picks up a nuance in Keith’s choice of words. “Out of the four of them…why the interest in Acxa?”

“Well, let’s start with the fact that she tried to kill me twice in the Ulippa system, and again in the Braylar system. But you already knew that. I’m just curious about what happened to her, that’s all.”

So, he _does_ have an interest in her. Lotor snorts and chuckles. “You think me a fool, Paladin? Ulippa was an act on Acxa’s part, and it was a magnificent performance. She didn’t try to kill you there. She stopped the others from pursuing you when you had your skirmish in the cargo hold. Had she not done so, you would be dead.”

“No one believes Acxa just missed a point-blank shot at Voltron. She’s the best marksman on either side in this war. The miss was deliberate. She pulled her shot ever so slightly. If she hadn’t, you would be dead.”

“As far as Braylar is concerned…something happened between the two of you there, didn’t it?”

Keith is now on the defensive. “Other than fighting off Bralarian Hyenas together, nothing happened.”

“Ah ha! So, you’re the one who tended to her after she was poisoned. Narti told me she did, but the facts in her story didn’t add up. Now it all makes sense!”

Keith realizes that Lotor has flipped the tables on him and is now the interrogator. He knows he is giving away too much information. “I respect Acxa as an honorable Galra warrior. It’s nothing more than that!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Paladin. Say it enough times and you’ll start to believe it. Because you’re not convincing me.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re a smart boy. Think about it. You’ll figure it out.”

Bristling, Keith storms away from the cell, striding quickly past Matt and Meltok. The two guards exchange quizzical looks with one another.

“Meltok, what did we just see?”

“A master manipulator at work. Be careful around Lotor, Matt. He’s a smooth talker if there ever was one.”

Stopping outside the entrance to the brig, Keith’s heart is racing, and he breaks out into a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, he asks himself why the news about Acxa is troubling him so much. She’s out in space dodging hunting parties. She could be dead for all he knows. Afraid the thought of her is going to affect his ability to lead, he knows he must get her out of his head.

He can’t talk to Allura about it. He’s not up for another round of arguments. Instead he reaches out to the one person he knows he can talk to.

“Hunk, it’s Keith.”

“Keith. What’s up.”

“I need to talk to you about something. I…just need someone to listen.”

“I’m all ears, buddy. Meet you at your quarters.”

Elders

** Naxzela **

Arriving on Naxzela, Kolivan is greeted by Meltok. Briefing the Blademaster on what transpired from the time he left Senfama until the Blademaster’s arrival at the Castle of Lions, Meltok places emphasis on the exchange between Keith and Allura.

“I’m very concerned about their arguments, Kolivan. I’ve spoken to Hunk and he tells me it isn’t the first time they’ve argued with each other like this. It hasn’t affected how they work with one another as Paladins of Voltron. Not yet. My concern is that it will. This seems to be driven by an intense hatred Allura has for all things Galra.”

“That cannot stand. I may need to speak with the Princess about it, but now is not the time. Speaking of all things Galra, there’s something I need to ask you, Meltok. Keith wants to learn about Galra culture, history, and traditions. This sudden interest seems to have been kindled by an interaction Keith had with…other Galra.”

“Let me guess…one of them is a woman named Acxa.”

A puzzled Kolivan tilts his head in surprise. “Yes. How do you know about that?”

“He was asking Lotor about her. Several times. He tried to disguise his interest in her but anyone with half a brain could detect it. Kolivan, she may be the spark, but did you ever stop to think that the real reason for his sudden interest in Galra culture is driven by a deep-rooted desire to find out about his family? When are you going to tell Keith about his mother? He suspects you’re holding back information from him. He needs to know about her. He needs to know about his Galra lineage.”

“In good time, Meltok. He’s not quite ready to hear about that.”

“I respectfully disagree. If not now, then when? The longer we keep his lineage from him, the more he will resent us when he does find out.”

“Then we agree to disagree. In the meantime, will you help me train him?”

Taken aback by the request, Meltok stares at the Blade Master for a moment. “Are you asking me to stand in for his mother?”

“No. I’m asking you to help me train him as by rights you have more claim to being one of his elders than I do.”

“At the family level, yes. At the Clan level…even though you and I are of different Houses, I defer to you for your experience. My sister and I are split off from our clan because of our membership in the Blade of Marmora. We both look to you for guidance as our Clan Elder.”

“Keith doesn’t know anything about Galra family and social structure at the Clan and House level. That’s what I am asking you to help me with, Meltok.”

Meltok lets out a heavy sigh. “I will do what I can, Kolivan. But you need to tell him who he is. Soon. I can’t promise that I won’t let something slip.”

“It is up to his mother to reveal herself and inform Keith of his familial lineage. When the time is right, she will. Until then, for his sake, say nothing!”

“Kolivan, the boy is susceptible to suggestion right now. I just witnessed a scene between Keith and Lotor that concerns me. Lotor is playing mind games with him. Something about something going on between Keith and this Acxa woman?”

“I see. General Acxa was Lotor’s Chief of Staff. I’m aware of Keith’s interest in her. She’s a young woman, and I know Keith finds her attractive. He tells me there is a warrior’s respect between them. I’ll take him at his word, but things can change. They’ve had several recent encounters with one another. I’ve warned him to be careful around her. My fear is that she becomes a blind spot for him.”

“You are right to be concerned, Meltok. We need to continue his Blade of Marmora training. For now, he needs to stay here with the rest of the Paladins. I’m afraid Voltron will be needed quite often in the coming movements. I can’t stay because I must attend to Blade of Marmora business elsewhere. He needs someone here who can arm him with the knowledge to deal with people like Lotor. And someone from his family needs to do it. Right now, the only family member that young man has to look up to for guidance is his uncle.”

“And yet, he has no clue I’m his uncle.” Meltok reluctantly agrees to help Kolivan with Keith’s training. “I’ll do what I can, Kolivan. But my belief is unchanged. Learning about his family will get him to stop thinking about this girl you are so concerned about and get him to focus on more important matters. We’ve got to tell him!”

**The Galra Way of Life**

Castle of Lions, Naxzela

Keith enters the training room on the Castle of Lions and is surprised to see Kolivan there with another Blade.

“Keith, good you are here. You remember Master Chief Meltok, don't you?”

Keith strides confidently up to Meltok. “Of course, I remember you. You were the first Blade I fought in my Trials. Kicked my butt if I remember correctly. I was on one of your mission teams. I appreciate all you did for us during the Naxzela campaign, and for your help in corralling Lotor.” Keith extends his hand. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad we didn’t lose you.”

Meltok smiles at his nephew, takes his hand, and gives it a tight squeeze. “That makes two of us, Keith.”

Kolivan explains why Meltok is there. “I must attend to Blade of Marmora business elsewhere. Given the current situation with Lotor, Meltok will remain here in the Castle with a contingent from the Blade of Marmora. He’s trained many new officers for the Blade of Marmora, and I’ve asked him to work with you to continue your training.”

“I look forward to working with you, Master Chief.”

\---------------

Believing they will be working on swordplay during their training session, Keith is surprised when Meltok takes a different tack.

“Sheathe your Blade, Keith. If I’m going to train you I’d like to get to know you better. Let’s take a walk and talk for a while.”

“Of course.”

The two walk out of the Castle and through the ruined base on Naxzela that not long ago was the scene of a major battle between Voltron and the Galra Empire. “Kolivan tells me you have a burning desire to learn about the Galra. Is that true?”

“Yes. I mean, I’m half Galra. And I know nothing about what it means to be Galra. All I’ve heard are the things that I hear from the Coalition. It’s not exactly a balanced point of view. I was told by…another Galra that I should seek out other Galra…elders…and learn from them.”

Meltok chuckles aloud. “Wise words from whomever you spoke to, and an astute observation. Coalition leaders are not the best people to teach you about the Galra. I’m glad you are reaching out. It’s important to learn, not only so you can find out more about where you come from, but also that you can understand the people you are fighting.”

“When can we begin?”

“Why not now? Society, customs, traditions, history, and religion are all pieces of a giant puzzle that render a true picture of the Galra people. I know what I’m about to tell you will be confusing at first. It will continue to be confusing until all the puzzle pieces are in place. I’ll put things together for you in a logical order, but it will take time for me to pass along all of them. So, for now, I need you to trust me.”

“Sounds good.”

“Let’s start with something simple and something you can use right away. Let’s talk about the Galra Military.”

“What’s there to understand? The Galra Empire has a military, they hate the Paladins, and they try to kill us.”

Meltok holds his head, feeling the onset of a major headache. “It’s not that simple. You need to understand why they serve and why they fight.”

“That’s simple. They serve and fight because it’s who the Galra are and because Zarkon told them to.”

“Who told you that??”

“Uh…Allura and…Coalition leaders.”

Meltok frowns and whacks him across the back of the head with the back of his hand.

“HEY!” Keith rubs the back of his head and sputters. “What the…WHAT WAS THAT FOR?”

“Your answer is not correct! You need to understand why they serve and fight because doing so may save unnecessary bloodshed in the future.”

“Ok.” Keith continues to rub the back of his head, still smarting from the whack to the head. “You have my attention, Master Chief.”

“Good. Keith, one thing you must understand. Galra society is a militaristic society. It’s a societal norm that predates Zarkon. Universal service in the military is expected for all, purebloods and half-breeds, regardless of caste.”

“I know all about purebloods and half breeds.”

The pounding of Meltok’s headache begins to intensify. “You know much less than you think you do. Hold that thought for another quintant.”

“Children are indoctrinated at a young age with the rigors and disciplines of military life while at home. In Galra society, a child becomes an adult at 14 decaphoebs. That is when military service begins.”

“How long is a Galra soldier expected to serve?”

“A minimum of one hundred seventy-five decaphoebs. After one hundred seventy-five decaphoebs they may retire from military service, or they may stay on in the military. Most choose to stay on since civilian employment is less profitable, and civilian jobs are hard to find.”

“ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE DECAPHOEBS? How long do Galra live?”

“Well, the average life span for a Galra pureblood and most half-breeds is seven hundred fifty decaphoebs. One hundred seventy-five decaphoebs is twenty percent of the average. In the grand scheme of things, it’s really not that long.”

“What’s the maximum life span of a Galra?”

“It could be as high as one thousand decaphoebs. Most of us don’t live that long. We are expected to die an honorable death in combat, and that’s what most Galra strive for.”

“Honor, huh? That seems to be a big deal to the Galra.”

“It is. Honor is a sacred concept within Galra society. Most soldiers in the Galra military take honor very seriously. It is very important. They bank their reputations on it. When a Galra says they will do something, they are bound by their word to do it. Otherwise, they will be viewed as lacking honor. The highest insult that can be leveled at a Galra soldier or civilian is to say they have no honor. For most Galra, those are fighting words.”

Keith thinks back to his standoff confrontation with Acxa in the asteroid field, when he accused her of having no honor. How Narti told him that his taunt cut her deeply. He didn’t fully understand it at the time. Now he realizes how firmly the concept of honor is ingrained into her personality.

“So, all Galra in the military serve with honor? I find that hard to believe, given some of the shady characters we’ve come across.”

“Shady characters?”

“Earth slang for dishonorable people.”

“Ah! Shady characters such as?”

“Commander Sendak for one. Zarkon for another. And don’t get me started on High Priestess Haggar.”

“I won’t disagree with you on any of them. They are who they are, and they make no apology for it. The thing to be careful of with all of them is their dishonesty.”

“So, they are dishonest, therefore, they have no honor.”

“You could make that claim. And you would be correct. They insist on honor and honesty from others, yet they have no honor themselves. But if you say it to their faces, you will likely end up dead.”

“So, honor is something that is only applied to lower ranks?”

“No. There are senior military officers in the Empire’s ranks who serve with great honor. Admiral Trag is the most notable of them.”

“Admiral? I didn’t know the Galra had that rank.”

Meltok lets out a heavy sigh. “For someone who claims to know about the Galra Military, there is much you don’t know.”

His words strike a raw nerve within Keith, and he explodes. “Isn’t that why we’re here? I mean, I thought Kolivan meant for you to be one of my elders. If this is too much trouble…”

Meltok immediately holds up his hand to silence Keith. “Lack of respect for an elder is not honorable behavior and I will not tolerate it from…from you.” Meltok mentally curses himself for his near slip-of-the-tongue. The very thing he warned Kolivan about.

Keith realizes he needs to dial the emotion back a few levels. “I apologize Master Chief. You’re trying to help me, and I’m grateful for that. I just want to learn everything right now so that one day…” Keith stares sadly at the ground. “…when I find my mother…she doesn’t think I’m a complete idiot.”

Meltok looks at his nephew and his calloused heart breaks. He thinks to himself, ‘ _Your mother would never think you an idiot_.’ To Keith he says, “I can’t teach you all you need to know in one session. But I can give you a start with things you’ll need to know right away.”

“Thank you. I meant no disrespect, Master Chief.”

Meltok nods. “Very well. Let’s move on. Time to go over the Galra Empire rank structure, starting with the officer ranks. To be an officer in the Galra military, one must be pureblood Galra.”

“Wait. That makes no sense. Lotor’s Generals are all half-breeds. How can they be officers?”

The Generals again. Meltok wonders why he is fixated on them. “The reason they are Generals has to do with Lotor’s position in the Galra military and social hierarchy.”

“The Royal Family tops the list of officers within the Galra Empire. That includes Zarkon, and Lotor, as his son.”

“So, because Lotor is of the Royal family, he can name a half-breed as an officer?”

“Yes. Speaking of Generals, they are next in the rank structure. The equivalent rank in the Blade of Marmora is Senior Commander. A general in the Empire is in service to the Royal family. Notable Generals in the Empire are General Gnov, Zarkon’s Chief of Staff; General Raht, who serves Haggar; and Lotor’s four Generals, whom I understand you’ve met.”

“Some Generals are designated as warlords. Warlord Ranveig is the most notable of that group. They are called warlords because they are given assignments out on the edges of the galaxy where the Empire is expanding. They are vicious, they take no quarter, they are brutal in nature.”

“I mentioned Trag’s rank as Admiral. That is a special rank Zarkon created for him. He is the only Admiral in the Empire’s military, and it sets Trag apart above the Generals as the senior military leader under Zarkon. I’ve met him. He is disciplined, tough, demanding, fair…and honorable...most of the time. Unlike the Generals who are by nature political animals, and therefore completely lack honor.”

Keith looks Meltok in the eye. “Not all of them. I know one General who serves…” Keith pauses and casts his eyes to the ground. “…who served…with great honor.”

Meltok presses him. “Past tense. Are you so sure General Acxa is dead?”

His head snaps up and he stares wide-eyed at Meltok. “How…how did you know she’s the one I’m referring to?”

Meltok crosses his arms. “It was pretty obvious, listening to you and Lotor talking earlier.” Meltok says nothing further, but the look he shares with Keith tells him that the young Paladin understands the hidden meaning behind his words.

Breaking the tension in the air, he continues his explanation. “Below the Generals come the Commanders. In the Empire, Commanders typically report to a General. They are the front-line leaders for all the heavy expeditions, such as conquest, occupation, things of that nature.”

“At the bottom of the officer ranks in the Empire and the Blade of Marmora are the Lieutenants. Frequently they are the children of current or former officers, who attend the Galra Military Academy on Galra Central Command.”

“That brings us to the Enlisted ranks. Purebloods and half-breeds may serve in the enlisted ranks. These ranks are identical in both the Empire and the Blade of Marmora, with one exception. At the top are the Master Chiefs. These are the senior enlisted members of the Galra military. They are veterans of many campaigns and are not to be trifled with. Officers for the most part do their level best not to cross a Master Chief. Even Generals fear them.”

“Next up are Chief’s, Sergeants, and Corporals, in that order from top to bottom. The Blade of Marmora has similar ranks with similar functions. They are the front-line enlisted leaders. These are the people who take the orders from their officers and execute them.”

“At the bottom are the Privates. Most Galra enter the military at this rank. These are the ones who do the physical labor. The Blade of Marmora equivalent to this rank is acolyte. In the Blade of Marmora, an acolyte may continue up either the enlisted ranks, or move into the officer ranks. When you passed your Trials of Marmora, you were admitted as an acolyte. Given your position as the Black Paladin, expect to receive an officers commission in the Blade of Marmora, most likely at the Commander level.”

“But…I’m a half-breed. How can I be an officer?”

“Everyone in the Blade of Marmora, half-breed or pureblood, has Galra blood in their veins. The caste system does not exist in the Blade of Marmora. That’s how a half-breed can become an officer.”

**Half Breeds**

Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions

Following his training session with Meltok, Keith makes his way to Lotor’s cell.

“Well, look who’s back. Good. I thought after the way our last session ended you’d want nothing to do with me. How may I help you, Paladin?”

Keith strides purposefully towards Lotor’s cell, his gaze fixed squarely on the Prince. “I just have one question for you. Why did you surrender?”

Still sitting, Lotor lifts an eyebrow. “I’ve already told you why. Don’t you believe me?”

“I want to know the real reason you surrendered. Not the line you fed Allura.”

Taking a deep breath, Lotor drops the snarky attitude. “To be honest…I hate my father.”

“Why? Why do you hate Zarkon so much?”

Lotor’s face darkens. He stands and faces Keith, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Part of it is my father’s innate hatred of me because I am a half-breed. Most of it is my father’s genocide against my mother’s people.”

Keith is surprised to hear that. “Your mother’s people…?” Lotor’s meaning hits him like a bolt out of the blue. “You’re…a half-breed?”

“Yes.”

“What is your non-Galra side?”

“My mother was Altean. Her name was Honerva.”

“Honerva. I know of her. The Altean alchemist. The one who performed the Quintessence experiments on Diabazaal. She is your mother?”

“Yes. Very good. I’m sincerely impressed that you know all this.”

Keith pauses to digest what Lotor told him. “So, Zarkon hated you for who your mother was?”

“Yes. And not just Zarkon. All the Galra purebloods hate me. A half-breed in the court of the Emperor. To them, and to my father, I am a stain on the Royal Family. One that needs to be wiped clean. The Galra caste system being what it is, I was doomed to be hated since birth.”

Keith crosses his arms and looks down at the floor. “I understand that feeling…being hated for who your parents are…more than you realize.”

Now it’s Lotor’s turn to study Keith. “Hold on a tick…that argument you and Allura had when I came aboard…you’re a…half breed yourself?”

“I guess it doesn’t hurt for you to know. Yes. Half-human. Half-Galra.”

“Of course! Things are beginning to make more sense to me now. It seems, Paladin, that as half Galra we are more alike than I thought.”

“I doubt that, Lotor. I’m nothing like you. I haven’t spent most of the last 10,000 decaphoebs killing people.”

Lotor gives Keith a sly smile. “You’re still very young. Give it time. In the meantime, I’m willing to show you I’m serious about aiding the Coalition in overcoming Zarkon and restoring sanity to the Empire.”

“And how do you plan to do that.”

“I am prepared to give up information to help the Voltron Coalition take down major targets within the Empire. I can give you target locations, defenses and how to defeat them. Everything you would need. Unless you’re not interested of course.”

“Go ahead. I’m listening.”

**Low Hanging Fruit**

Bridge of the Castle of Lions (One Varga Later)

“So, Lotor just gave up all this information? You didn’t have to torture him or anything?”

“No, Lance. He volunteered it. He said this is his way of proving that he’s turning a page and really sincere about helping the Coalition.”

“And do you believe him, Keith?”

“Allura, I’m suspicious of everything that man tells me. But the information he provided is so detailed, we’d be foolish not to check it out.”

“We could be walking into a trap.”

Meltok steps forward to offer a suggestion. “Princess, I’m the first one to be suspicious of everything that comes out of Lotor’s mouth. He and I have a history. But Keith is right. We should check it out. If I may suggest. Let’s send out some reconnaissance parties. The Blade of Marmora can investigate the manufacturing facilities. If what Lotor says is true, we can get in there and cause a great amount of havoc.”

“And what of the Fleet Repair Yards? Those might not be so easy to get into.”

“True.” He turns to look over to Pidge. “But if we were to send a cloaked Lion in to investigate the intel…”

“…we can get in and out unseen! I can get Matt to help me!”

Keith takes a step towards Pidge. “We’ll take it one step further. Pidge, you and Matt take the Lion in close to the repair yards and find out what you can. Then rendezvous with the rest of us here.” Keith indicates a location on a star chart. “If Lotor’s information checks out, we’ll take the yards out there and then.”

“Keith, are you sure? That seems risky.”

“Allura, if there is any doubt, we’ll call off the attack. What do you think?”

She pauses for a moment to think it through. “Well, we’re guaranteed not to destroy those repair yards if we don’t try. Ok, I’m in.”

Keith looks to Lance, Hunk, and Pidge who all give nods and thumbs up.

“It’s settled then. Master Chief, would you pass the intel along to the Blade of Marmora so they can handle those manufacturing plants?”

“Consider it done. I’ll remain here to guard Lotor. Since Matt is going on the recon with Pidge, Captain Olia can stand in for him.”

“Alright people. We know what we have to do. Let’ make it happen.”

\---------------

Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions (Seven Vargas Later)

“Captain Olia, how has he behaved since we’ve been gone?”

“He’s been quiet, Keith. He hasn’t said a word or done a thing.”

Lotor perks up as Keith approaches Lotor’s cell. “I wanted to let you know, your intel on the Fleet Repair Yards checked out. They’ll be out of commission for a long time, if not permanently.”

“What about the heavy weapons and fighter manufacturing facilities?”

“We’re still checking them out.”

“I’m confident that you’ll easily dispatch those as well. In the meantime, if you’re interested in taking out another target, I have an easy one for you.”

“Ok. I’m not sure what you can possibly give us that would top the fleet repair yards.”

“Oh, I think you’ll like this one. You know those annoying sentry droids you keep running into? The Galra are manufacturing enhanced versions. Specifically designed to take on the Paladins of Voltron. How would you like to stop them before they are fully deployed to the field?”

Keith smiles. “I would like that very much.”

**Flashpoint**

Paladins Lounge, Castle of Lions, One Varga Later

“Maybe he has changed, Allura. Maybe he’s so tired of being looked down on by everyone that he’s seen the error of his ways and decided to go with the team that won’t treat him that way.”

“Don’t be naïve, Keith. He hasn’t changed one bit. He has an ulterior motive. All Galra have ulterior motives. They can’t be trusted.”

“All Galra? Really, Allura? This again? I keep telling you, not all Galra are evil. And not everyone in the Voltron Coalition is good.”

“Keith, since he’s been back on the scene, what has he done to earn even a shred of trust from you? Give up low value easy-to-hit targets that we could have identified on our own?”

“At great peril and loss of life. His information spared us from those consequences. You really don’t see gray areas, do you Allura? To you everything is black or white, yes or no, I’m right and you’re wrong!”

“The universe is easier to understand if you look at it that way, Keith. Especially in a war!”

“So, we wind up hurting innocent people because we are too blind to see good in the gray of the morning or the haze of twilight? Open your eyes, Allura!”

“TO WHAT, KEITH? That man represents everything I despise!”

“This discussion is pointless. I’m going to my quarters to get some rest.” He looks to the rest of the Paladins. “You all need to do the same. We have a mission coming in a few vargas. Everyone needs some rest.”

He gives Allura one final, disapproving look, and storms out of the lounge.

Hunk looks sheepishly at Lance and Pidge.

“Ok. That happened.”

**The Scary Ladies**

Galra Occupied Planet

As a ship approaches the motion sensors that make up the outer security ring of the small planet, its pilot keys in the appropriate security code. Recognized as an authorized vessel, they pass through the barrier unscathed and approach the planet.

Setting down some distance away from a large facility, three figures emerge from the ship.

“Acxa, are you sure this scheme of yours will work?”

Acxa rolls her eyes at Zethrid’s question. _“Yes. Now for the last time, let’s do this!”_

“Zethrid, what did you make of that communication between Zarkon and Haggar that we intercepted?

“I can’t believe Lotor surrendered to Voltron.”

“Yeah. What a manipulative weasel”

Acxa’s head begins to pound. “ _Will the two of you PLEASE shut up! I’m getting a headache!”_

The three approach the entrance to the facility, weapons drawn. “I hope this crazy plan of yours works, Acxa.”

 _“It will work.”_ She steps out from behind her cover and approaches the entrance.


	3. The Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor’s attempts to show he’s turned a page and wants to help the Coalition are met with suspicion by Allura and skepticism by the others. As the information provided by the Prince continues to check out, Allura’s attitude towards him slowly evolves. One of the leads by the Prince leads Matt and Katie Holt on a difficult search for their father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly canon-compliant with new content. The big divergence being Keith in the role of the Black Paladin at this point, and Allura's continuing hostility towards the Galra, something that will continue to be a source of irritation between her and Keith.

**Tragoch**

Enhanced Sentry Assembly Plant on the moon of Tragoch

Keith carefully checks his instrument readings as the five Lions approach the sprawling manufacturing facility. “That’s our target, the moon of Tragoch. According to the information Lotor gave to Keith and our latest intelligence from Pidge’s recon, that’s where the Galra are building their upgraded sentries. Taking out this base will mean the Galra Empire won’t be able to resupply their bases and ships with replacement droids for phoebs.”

“Keith, how do we know this isn’t a trap?”

“All the intel’s checked out so far, Hunk. Everything’s exactly how we were told it would be.”

Alarms sound in the cockpit of the Black Lion. Checking his monitor Keith sees a threat heading their way.

“Including preparing for those!” Armed drones by the hundreds swarm out from the moon and head in their direction. It’s a threat the team is prepared for, as Keith puts their plan into action.

“Pidge?”

“Allura, I’m sending you the signals to interfere with the drones.”

“Signal acquired. Broadcasting.”

From the Blue Lion, Allura sends out a sonic wave that interferes with the command and directional systems of the drones, effectively shutting them down. Now inert, the drones float powerless in space.

Not wasting any time, Keith decides it’s time to finish them off.

“Let’s take them out before they recalibrate and report our approach.”

The Lions each form their jawblades and rip through the cluster of drones. Weaving in and out of the cluster, the drones are easily destroyed.

“Form up on me. We’re going in.”

Using the access codes provided to them, Keith opens an exterior access portal that leads to the interior of the facility. “We have five doboshes before the base realizes their drones aren’t responding.”

Moving their way down a narrow access tunnel, Keith reminds the team of one very important fact. “Be careful to stay in formation and don’t touch the sides of the tunnel.”

“Don’t touch the side.” Feeling a bit claustrophobic, Hunk does his best to focus on not touching the sides. “Don’t touch the side. Don’t touch the side.” While he succeeds in not _touching_ the side, he instead _slams_ into the side of the tunnel.

Tragoch is a volcanic moon. The sentry facility was placed here because the lava just under the crust of the planet provides the raw materials needed to produce the sentries. It also provides an excellent defense against attack. The tunnel the Paladins are in runs through a giant magma chamber. With the wall damaged, the molten lava bursts through the tunnel and rolls down it, directly behind the Paladins.

Seeing the wave of lava closing in on him, Hunk panics. He pushes his Lion forward at top speed and clips Pidge in the process.

“HUNK!”

The Green Lion spins once before Pidge regains control. “Hunk, what’s the matter with you?!”

“Uh, I think I may have nicked the side of the tunnel…a little bit.”

Checking her monitor, Allura sees the threat. “Let me through!” She slows Blue to allow Pidge and Hunk to pass her. Turning Blue and flying backwards, Allura uses Blue’s freeze ray to create a giant ice plug in the tunnel. The lava crashes into the plug and is stopped…for the moment.

Seeing the patch begin to crack under the heat and force of the Lava, Allura spurs the team on. “We’d better hurry. That patch won’t last long.”

\---------------

“We’re under attack!”

Intruder alarms blare throughout the facility. Activating the console, the facility commander detects the presence of intruders in one of the exterior access tunnels. The video feed from the tunnel reveals the identity of the intruders.

“It’s Voltron! All forces prepare for enemy assault. This is not a drill.”

\---------------

The lava breaks through the ice plug as the Paladins approach the end of tunnel. Bringing up the rear, Hunk frantically warns the others. “The lava’s gaining on us! We can’t outrun it!”

“Keith, we should be directly underneath the Galra base.”

“Got it, Allura. Team, there’s an opening up ahead. Follow me!”

The Lions enter a tunnel junction chamber that affords a temporary reprieve from the lava, but it’s one that is short-lived. The lava pools at the bottom of the chamber and rises rapidly towards them.

“Oh no! We’re trapped!”

“No, we’re not Lance! There’s another way out. FORM VOLTRON!”

\---------------

From the control room, the facility commander watches the lava fill the chamber. Seeing no movement, he breathes a sigh of relief.

“Stand down. Voltron is no more.”

His words prove to be nothing more than wishful thinking

Still very much alive, Voltron bursts through the walls of the manufacturing facility.

“Take down the factory machines!” In short order, Voltron destroys the foundry machines and the sentry assembly line. Sending a laser beam through the blast furnace, the facility begins to implode.

As the lava bursts through the walls of the manufacturing facility, the commander issues his final orders. “We have to get out of here! To the escape pods!”

Voltron and the Galra escape pods manage to clear the facility before it explodes in a massive fireball.

\---------------

Paladins Lounge, Castle of Lions, Naxzela

“Oh, man! Going on missions is a lot easier when somebody gives you all the information you need before you get there.”

Lance can’t resist giving Hunk a verbal poke. “And yet you still managed to run your Lion into a wall.”

Like water rolling off the back of a duck, the tease rolls off Hunk. “Yeah, information is one thing. Ability is something completely different.”

Keith turns to Allura. “There’s no doubt about it, we haven’t encountered a single problem. “

“I must admit, we took down a vital target today.”

“And we made it look pretty easy, except for the getting buried in lava part.”

Keith chuckles at Pidge’s comment, then puts an idea out to Allura. “It may be time to consider taking the next step.”

Allura for her part is still very reluctant. “I’m still not comfortable with this. It just doesn’t feel right.”

**Zero Sum Game**

Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions, 30 Doboshes Later

“Your intel checked out.”

Seated in his cell, leaning forward, Lotor chuckles to himself. “You still feign surprise, Keith. All the information I’ve given, proven correct. Every target I’ve provided, easily dispatched. And yet you still look at me…”

“As if you were the leader of the most bloodthirsty race of murderers this universe has ever known.” Allura’s voice drips with hatred for all things Galra.

Lotor is not quite ready to give up and tries to reason with her. “Can people not change? Is it so hard to believe that I wish to return the Galra Empire to a bygone era of peace? Our fathers were friends once, long ago. There must be hope for us.”

Keith isn’t quite ready to believe everything Lotor says. “I guess we still need convincing.”

“The facts speak for themselves. The Galra Empire is completely reliant on Quintessence. Serve that need peacefully, and you have a complete paradigm shift, a new dawn for the old Empire.”

“And you’re the man to make this happen?”

“My plan from the beginning Princess has been to find a way to harvest Quintessence without resorting to the barbarism of the Komar. Extracting Quintessence from entire planets at the cost of every living thing? I think not.”

Furrowing her brow and leaning forward, Allura glares at Lotor, a hardness in her voice. “And your solution was to send Voltron to do your dirty work.”

Lotor becomes defensive. “Only Voltron could retrieve the trans-reality comet. So yes, I’m afraid I had to be a bit duplicitous in effecting it’s retrieval.”

It’s Keith’s turn. Narrowing his eyes, he speaks slowly and deliberately. “But if the Paladins were killed, that would be fine for you, too.”

“It was a calculated risk, I admit that. But I knew you all would come through without a scratch. And since recovering the comet, I haven’t been in the least bit aggressive.”

Allura isn’t buying it. “What about your Generals?”

“A simple misunderstanding. I had no idea our paths would cross in the Ulippa System. What would I gain by fighting you? My sole focus has been finding a way to enter the zone between realities.”

Allura is unconvinced. “Sounds like you _are_ your father’s son.”

At the comparison of himself to his father, Lotor finally loses his cool. “It was _your_ father who led the scientific exploration that discovered Quintessence.” Lotor stands to emphasize his next point. “An exploration, I might add, that resulted in the creation of Voltron.”

Allura and Lotor glare harshly at one another. “This isn’t a zero-sum game. Meeting the needs of the Galra Empire means bringing peace to the universe. That is the future enlightenment brings us, one of prosperity for all.”

Lotor dials back the emotional tone in his voice yet speaks with evident sadness. “I saved your lives and the lives of all your comrades. I gave you target after target in the Galra Empire, and all of them were dismantled or destroyed at no cost of life to you. All I ask is to be judged by my actions rather than your preconceptions of my race. If that is beyond you…then perhaps you should just finish me and get it over with.”

“Clearly, Princess, you are not ready to end this war.”

\---------------

Hallway, Castle of Lions

Outside the Launch Bay for the Black Lion, Keith spots Meltok. Lotor’s words to Allura remind him of something that has bothered him since his last discussion with the Master Chief. Calling out, Keith jogs up to him.

“Master Chief, I’ve given our last lesson a lot of thought. I have one question. Why do the purebloods hate half-breeds so much?”

Meltok knows he needs to go over this with him at some point, so why not now.

“Ok. The twelve original tribes of Diabazaal built a society based on a clearly structured Caste system. There are two distinct classes within Galra Society. The Ruling Class, and the Servant Class.”

Keith remembers Meltok’s reference to those classes in their earlier meeting. “If I recall, Officers in the Military would fall into the Ruling Class, and the Enlisted would fall into the Servant Class.”

“Close, but not quite correct. The enlisted ranks do fall into the Servant class. Officer ranks are…somewhat convoluted. Only Purebloods can fall into the ruling class. Officers who are purebloods fall into the Ruling class. Officers appointed by Royal Decree, like Lotor’s Generals, are not part of the Ruling Class despite their rank. Because they are not Purebloods.

“Now, let’s take this one step further. When the Galra Empire embarked on its cycle of conquest, a third class of people came into existence. The Indigenous.”

“Indigenous?”

“Natives of the planets the Galra conquered. For the most part the Indigenous fit right in with the servant class, but there were exceptions. The educated people within the Indigenous populations could, with proper vetting and a Royal Decree, become officers within the ranks of the Galra. That rarely happens, but it can. Most indigenous, if they serve in the military, do so as enlisted personnel in the lower ranks.”

“Is it common for Indigenous to serve in the Galra military? I don’t believe I’ve ever come across any.”

“There are more Indigenous in the Galra military than you would expect. For the most part they are not deployed with the main fleets, but rather are used in home guard auxiliary units on their home planets.”

“With the rise of the Indigenous populations, it wasn’t long before half-breed children were born. All half-breeds fall into the servant class, and they can serve in the Galra military but rarely rise to the rank of Corporal. To pureblood Galra, be they ruling or servant class, half-breeds are a stain on both the Galra and the Indigenous population they come from. They hate and despise them. The treatment the half-breeds receive from the Indigenous is just as bad.”

“The life of the servant class is hard, but the life of a half-breed is pure hell. Most half-breeds live short lives because of the abuse they take.”

Keith mutters to himself. “I had no idea…”

Meltok looks at Keith very carefully; he knows what’s on his mind. He puts a hand on each of Keith’s shoulders, and looks him in the eye.

“Keith, I know you respect General Acxa. Just remember this. Lotor did that poor woman no favors by making her a General. Her life in the military had to be pure hell. That she lasted as long as she did is nothing short of a miracle and a testament to her strength of character. Having said that, I’m certain that experience also twisted and damaged her psyche along the way.”

“If she is still alive…be careful. She could snap at any moment.”

**Pep Rally**

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Allura stands nervously at her command console on the Bridge, reviewing in her mind the final preparations for a critical meeting she is about to start. Arrayed before her are twelve viewscreens, from which she will interact with leaders of the Voltron Coalition and Blade of Marmora.

Lance enters the Bridge. “Princess? The meeting’s about to start.”

“I’m almost ready.” Pausing before activating the viewscreen links, she gives voice to her thoughts. “If I’m expected to lead this, I need to know what I’m talking about.”

Lance does his best to be supportive. “Yeah, but no one expects you to memorize everything. We can have a script-screen for you, or you could jot notes down on the inside of your hand. I mean I do it all the…uh, time.”

Allura shoots him a sideways glance of disapproval. Writing crib notes on her palm is not something she’s about to do.

Blushing, Lance throws his hands up in the air. “I’m kidding!”

Fortunately, Pidge bails him out. “Princess, everybody’s ready.”

Allura activates the viewscreen, and the links to the leaders are activated. Standing behind Allura are the Paladins and Coran.

Pulling herself stiffly erect, she begins the conference. “As of today, our Coalition forces have taken control of one-third of the former Galra Empire. But we cannot grow complacent. The Galra Empire is still the dominant force in the universe. However, the tide is changing.”

The Taujeerian leader speaks up. “The rebel coalition is winning because of you, Princess Allura. You and Voltron. Mere cycles ago, I felt that my race would breathe its last in Galra chains, but then Voltron appeared on the horizon, and our lives changed forever!”

Allura nods her appreciation. “This bid for liberty is only possible because of all of our sacrifices. And we still have a long way to go before the entire universe is free.”

“We’ll be behind you every step of the way.”

“Thank you. We will reconvene soon. Until then.”

The screens to the leaders deactivate and shut down. All except the screen connecting Kolivan to the Castle of Lions. Keith checks in with the Blademaster as the Paladins observe.

“Did you complete your raids on the targets Meltok sent you in his last communication?”

“Yes. The information we’ve received from Lotor has consistently checked out. We’ve taken down the manufacturing facilities.”

Not wanting to dampen enthusiasm too much, Pidge raises a concern. “Kolivan, with all these successful missions taking place in such a short period of time, it won’t be long before the Galra Empire realizes we’re using inside information.”

“That’s true. We should expect the enemy to change protocol soon.”

“Then we need to act fast and hit as many targets as possible.”

Keith ponders the situation. “Good point, Lance. We’ll talk to Lotor and see if there’s anything else he can give us.”

Allura however, is still hesitant. “I can’t help thinking that we might be an unwitting part of a much larger ulterior motive.”

**A More Personal Level**

Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions, One Quintant Later

“Every lead I’ve provided you so far has been unerring, exact, and relatively easy to accomplish. Anything I would give you now would be somewhat more…perilous in nature.”

Allura is curious. “We’re listening.”

“I have some information I believe you would consider important on a more personal level. There is a prison, formerly under my control. It houses a special inmate.”

\---------------

Coalition Rebel Base

Nyma, a rebel leader in the Coalition, meets with Matt and Pidge, who’ve made the trip to the Rebel base in the Green Lion. “Thank you for helping us get the fleet back in order. After Naxzela they were pretty banged up.”

“No problem.”

“We re-booted the entire targeting system in this one. Pidge wrote a patch that will increase accuracy by a power of three.”

Not to be outdone in the compliments department, Pidge throws one her brother’s way. “Yeah, well, Matt overhauled the thrusters on this one. It can pull out of a six-g dive and not lose thrust.”

A bewildered Nyma looks on as Pidge and her brother proceed to dive into a mathematics geek fest.

“That’s Newton’s gravitational constant, of course.”

“Duh! What would she think, 9.8 meters per second squared?”

As a round of laughter erupts between the two nerds, a slack-jawed Nyma wonders what language they are speaking. After a moment, the Holts get serious.

“But we saved our best work for last.”

Matt steps aside to reveal a rebuilt Beezer. Nyma is overcome with joy at the sight of her robot. Damaged during the battle at Teq, Beezer is fully functional once again. She rushes over to examine him. “He looks brand-new! I can see myself in his chest plate.”

As Nyma and Beezer enjoy a happy reunion, the hatchway to an adjacent ship opens. From the hatchway Rollo, Nyma’s boyfriend and another rebel leader, calls out to Pidge.

“Pidge…you got a message incoming.”

Rollo activates his monitor as Pidge and Matt step into the ship. Keith and Allura appear on the screen.

“Pidge.”

“Hey guys!” Seeing the serious look on Keith’s face, she gets a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Keith, Is…something wrong?”

“We have a lead on…your father.”

“Dad?” Pidge and Matt both stare attentively and apprehensively at the screen.

“Lotor gave us information on his whereabouts.”

“Where is he?”

“Because your father was considered a valuable scientific asset, he was moved to a remote prison with others like him. They’re being forced to work for the Galra Empire. According to Lotor, he’s still at the prison, but he could be transferred at any moment. As soon as the teleduv is repaired, we can all head over there.”

Pidge and Matt exchange looks. Matt turns to head out to the Green Lion as Pidge sets a look of determination on her face. “Allura, Send me the coordinates. I’ll be in the Green Lion!”

Pidge sprints out of Rollo’s ship as Allura calls after her. “Pidge, Matt! If you wait for us, we’ll be able to provide you with backup.”

Rollo stands and faces the screen. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll make sure they got the backup they need.”

“Bring them back safe, Rollo.”

“No worries, Princess.”

“Good luck!”

**The Rescue**

The Green Lion, in route to the Galra Prison Planet

Pidge, Matt, Nyma, Rollo, and Beezer occupy the cockpit of the Green Lion. They travel in silence as a million thoughts flood through the minds of Pidge and Matt.

Her churning emotions finally get the best of Pidge. “What if something’s happened to him, Matt? What if…?”

Sensing his sister is on the verge of a panic attack, Matt places his hand on her shoulder and looks her straight in the eye. “We’re gonna bring Dad back, I promise.” He squeezes her shoulder.

Pidge wants to believe her brother, but she can’t shake the feeling that something terrible has happened to her father.

\---------------

Galra Prison Planet

“Approaching the prison.”

Pidge maneuvers the Green Lion in carefully, unsure what defenses they may run into. A thought that is also foremost in Rollo’s mind.

“This place is going to have security. We’re going to go headfirst into that?”

“That’s why we’ve got cloaking. Matt, you ready?”

“On it.” Matt activates the cloaking device, which renders the Green Lion invisible to radar detection. There is only one small problem.

Pidge is unaware of the millions of small motion detectors surrounding the planet. Detectors specifically designed to pick up any motion, to include cloaked spacecraft.

Passing through the security ring, the field emitted by the detectors neutralizes their cloak. The Green Lion is suddenly no longer invisible.

A red light begins to flash, and an alarm sounds in the Green Lion. Matt looks up from the controls of the cloaking device. “Did they detect us?”

Rollo stares at the light. “That doesn’t look or sound good.”

Pidge quickly checks her instrument readings. “We’ve hit some sort of barrier! We’ve lost cloaking!”

The situation only gets worse as the team looks in front of them.

“Galra fighters on intercept course! Hang on everybody!”

The fighters fire their laser weapons at Green. Spinning, dodging, and weaving, Pidge manages to avoid their fire. Switching to offensive mode, she fires Green’s laser at the fighters. She manages one hit, but the other fighters avoid the blast and continue their attack.

When Green is joined together with the other Lions as part of Voltron, a fight against one hundred Galra fighters is not a big deal and the odds are with her. On their own…it is a huge deal and the odds are definitely stacked against her.

“Change of plan! I’m gonna have to drop you off! Hold on!”

Pidge puts Green into a hard dive straight for the prison. Hitting the lower atmosphere, Pidge opens the belly bay doors of Green. One by one, Rollo, Nyma, Matt, and Beezer jump out.

Pidge turns Green away from the jumpers and into the upper atmosphere to lure the Galra fighters away from them. Watching them drop, she wishes her brother well.

“Go get him, Matt.”

She blinks back a tear, then becomes deadly serious as she focuses on defeating the Galra fighters.

\---------------

The team executes a flawless free-fall until they hit the critical altitude above the surface. “Everybody, fire jetpacks!”

Rollo, Nyma, and Beezer flawlessly start their jetpacks. Matt on the other hand, runs into an issue.

“Uh oh! Somethings wrong! My pack’s not working!”

Horrified, Nyma calls down to him.

“MATT!”

Thinking quickly, she turns to the one jumper who can help him. “Beezer, go get him!”

Beezer turns his jetpack up to full thrust and dives down into the atmosphere. He gets within range of the panicked-out-of-his-mind Matt and launches a grappling hook at him. Snagging onto his uniform, Beezer pulls Matt to him. Matt grabs onto the robot and hangs on for dear life with his arms and legs. Beezer turns and slows his descent to the ground.

Completing their own descent, Nyma and Rollo turn towards Matt and Beezer. Trembling, Matt is wide-eyed, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He has a firm grip on Beezer and refuses to let go.

Rollo crosses his arms and smirks, while Nyma shakes her head. “You know, you can let go of him now.”

“I’d rather not…”

Exterior of the Galra Prison

The team cautiously approaches the entrance to the prison. Moving carefully under cover so as not to be seen, they reach an observation point near the front of the facility.

Rollo scans the entrance. “No guards.”

“Security and defense systems in this prison are completely automated. Override codes should shut everything down.” Matt activates his wrist device and prepares to hack the prison computer system.

Something doesn’t’ seem right to Nyma. She takes a closer look and spots something the boys missed. “Uh, looks like everything is already shut down.”

Sprawled out in front of the prison entrance are four destroyed sentry droids.

Looking out from his covered position, Matt tries to make sense of what they are seeing. “What’s going on?”

Deciding to see for themselves, the team makes their way into the prison

\---------------

The Skies above the Prison Planet

Pidge continues to dodge the fighters pursing her. That’s the good news. The bad news is that there are still just as many of them as there were when she dropped the rest of the team off above the prison.

Green takes a grazing shot from one of the fighters. Grunting and pushing the controls to maximum speed, Pidge urges her on. “Come on, girl!”

Inserting her Bayard into its port, Pidge forms a weapon unique to the Green Lion. A weapon who’s beam, when it hits a target, forms vines that wrap around and crush it. The weapon is effective, but she is only taking out one fighter at a time.

“Stay with me, Green!”

Pidge executes a maneuver Hunk taught her. She brings Green to a dead stop, causing the pursuing fighters to fly past her before they can react. Green chomps down on the wing of one fighter, spins with the fighter in its jaws, and then releases it, causing the fighter to tumble wildly out of control and into another fighter.”

Observing her handiwork for just a tick, the proximity alarm in Green blares as additional Galra fighters come up from behind to continue their pursuit.

Pidge leads them on a merry chase, marking time until she hears from her brother.

She hopes he will have some good news.

\---------------

Inside the Galra Prison

The team makes their way carefully down the main corridor of the prison. The sight that greets them is grim. Broken Sentry droids litter the corridor, blasted apart by precision laser fire.

Coming to the end of the corridor, they find themselves on a balcony overlooking an open, laboratory-type work area. Scientists of many races and species toil away at their instruments. Rollo signals for his team to remain low.

Slowly, he makes his way out onto the balcony to get a closer look. Crawling to avoid detection, he doesn’t get far before he finds himself looking down at a pair of feet. His eyes move from the feet, to the knees, to the waist, and then finally to the face of an equally confused scientist.

The scientist turns to sound an alarm, only to be grabbed and gagged by Nyma. Enough of a scuffle ensues that the scientists in the lab look up and see her holding the scientist. Nyma releases him as Rollo stands.

Making a calming gesture with his hands, palms down, Rollo does his best to set everyone at ease.

“Everyone, relax.”

Hearing those words, half the scientists take cover under their workstations and cower, trembling in fear. One of them steps forward, pleading for their lives.

“Don’t hurt us!”

“No one’s here to hurt you.”

The scientist looks to Nyma, confused. “You’re not with the scary lady?”

Matt steps forward, making his presence known. “No. We’re here to rescue you. Wait, what scary lady?”

“The big one with the fuzzy ears. She told us to stay inside. If we went out, we’d be hurt.”

Nyma tries to calm them. “Well, no one is here now. Come on, we’re leaving.”

Matt frantically scans the group of scientists. He does not see his father in the crowd. “Is this everyone?”

“No, there are others back in the cells.”

The scientist points to the corridor leading to the cell block. Gritting his teeth, Matt leaps over the balcony railing and makes his way down the corridor.

As he does that, Rollo rallies the scientists. “Everybody, hurry up and come with us.”

Matt sprints down the row of cell blocks, calling for his father. “Hello? Dad? Dad, are you here?”

His calls are greeted only by the chattering of other scientists.

As the scientists emerge from their cells and race to join the others, Matt questions them. “Has anyone here seen Sam Holt? A human like me. Is…is there another human here?”

One-by-one Matt checks the cells. Coming to the last locked cell, he opens the door and stares inside.

\---------------

At the Prison Gate

The scientists gather with Rollo, Nyma, and Beezer at the entrance to the prison. Staying low and sheltering in place to avoid detection and stray fire, the team waits for the Green Lion.

“Pidge, we’re ready for pickup.”

“Nyma, I can’t come get you! It’s still too hot!” Pidge spins and twists Green, causing two fighters to crash into each other. She shoots a third using the tail laser. “If I fly down to pick you up, I’ll be leading all of these ships there. You’ll be sitting ducks! We’re going to have to come up with some other way to get the scientists off the planet.”

Nyma looks hopelessly at Rollo. Thinking for a moment, he comes up with a novel idea. “Pidge, what if I brought the group up to you?”

Nyma stares at her boyfriend. “And how are we gonna do that?”

Rollo grins at her. “I’ve got an idea. Follow me.”

Hangar Bay inside the Prison

Rollo and Nyma jam all the scientists into a shuttle designed to carry far fewer people than they are carrying now. The scientist who spoke to them inside the prison is also a pilot and they occupy the co-pilot’s seat next to Rollo.

“These shuttles are only meant to carry five passengers. You have forty in here! We’ll be lucky to break through the atmosphere.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Rollo powers up the ship while Nyma and Beezer stand in the open hatchway waiting for Matt to arrive.  
“Come on, Matt. Where are you?”

Less than a dobosh later a glum-faced Matt sprints around the corner and hops into the shuttle. “Let’s go!”

“But where’s…?”

He cuts Nyma off, grits his teeth, and shoots her a look that ends the conversation. “Let’s…go!”

He closes his eyes, turns away from her, and leans against a bulkhead. Nyma says nothing. She knows by his body language and demeanor what happened. She calls up to the cockpit.

“Rollo. Everyone’s on board. Let’s move.”

Closing the door, the overloaded shuttle departs the hangar bay.

\---------------

The Skies above the Prison Planet

Gritting his teeth, Rollo fights the controls of the shuttle as he struggles to get it airborne. The thrusters buzz, crackle, and groan under the strain of the weight of the passengers as gravity tries to keep the shuttle on the planet. Lifting off, the small ship rocks back and forth, sometimes violently as passengers hold on for dear life.

The jostling snaps Matt out of his stupor. “Somethings wrong. Rollo, what’s going on?”

“The thrusters are maxed out!”

The Green Lion, still pursued by what’s left of the Galra fighter squadrons, races to meet up with the shuttle. Hopefully before it crashes back into the planet.

Rollo contacts Pidge with the shuttle’s status. “We’re about as high as this overloaded escape pod will take us. We could sure use a pick up.”

“On my way. Hang on!”

“Engines are failing!” The thrusters on the shuttle, unable to take any further abuse, flame out. Rollo looks behind them and sees a smoke trail. He knows their time is short unless Pidge can pull off a miracle.

Power in the shuttle completely fails. The ship begins an unpowered, uncontrolled descent to the planet.

Observing their plight, Pidge races in to pick up the shuttle.

“Hang on tight!”

Positioning Green to intercept the shuttle from below, she rolls the Lion onto its back and opens the belly cargo doors. The shuttle drops upside down inside Green’s cargo bay.

The shuttle now secure, Pidge closes the doors and turns Green right-side up and moves into the upper atmosphere.

Passing through the line of motion detectors, her cloaking device becomes operational. Normally unable to operate it and fly Green at the same time, this time she manages to do both.

“Cloaking back online!”

Unable to find their target, the pursuing Galra fighters break off their chase and return to the prison.

\---------------

**A One Time Offer**

The Green Lion

A forlorn Matt Holt makes his way to the cockpit of the Green Lion. A hopeful Pidge turns to her brother. “Matt! Matt, did you find him?” Excited, she leaps out of her pilot’s seat.

“I’m sorry Pidge.”

Pidge goes into immediate denial. “No! Dad!” She bolts for the cargo hold, only to be restrained by Matt. “Dad, where are you?”

“He wasn’t there, Pidge. He was already gone.”

Her high hopes dashed, Pidge breaks down as the tears flow freely. “No. No.” She collapses to her knees, embraced by her equally distraught brother.

“Don’t give up, Pidge. We know Dad’s alive. We’ll find him.”

\---------------

Bridge of the Battleship Viproma-X-Seven

Deep in thought, Emperor Zarkon is on his way back to Galra Central Command. Made aware by Haggar of Lotor’s actions at Naxzela and his subsequent surrender to the Coalition, he ponders his next move.

While he gazes at the situation monitor, Commander Trugg alerts Zarkon to an incoming message. “Sire, you will want to take this one.”

Flashing up on the screen is the image of Acxa. Zarkon narrows his eyes at the sight of Lotor’s half-breed Chief of Staff.

_“Emperor Zarkon.”_

“What do you want?”

_“We have something in our possession we think you’d be interested in. We are willing to trade it for our safe passage back into the Galra ranks.”_

Zarkon is intrigued. “I’m listening.”

Castle of Lions, in Space

It’s been several vargas since Pidge returned from the Prison. After placing the scientists on a shuttle to Olkarion, the team sheds their Paladin uniforms and regroups on the Bridge of the Castle of Lions.

While Allura and Keith study a monitor together, first Lance, then the others turn to gaze at a forlorn Pidge. Her knees pulled up to her forehead, arms around her legs, completely distraught and inconsolable. Her brother stands by helplessly, doing his best to support her.

Without warning, the communication console beeps an alert to warn them of an incoming priority message. The image that appears surprises and shocks everyone.

“Paladins of Voltron.”

Keith whispers under his breath. “Zarkon.”

“I am making a one-time offer. I have someone of value to you.”

Just when everyone thinks this is a very weird call, it gets weirder.

Zarkon steps aside. Standing behind him, restrained by Zethrid and guarded by Acxa and Ezor, is Commander Sam Holt.

A haggard Commander Holt stares into the video monitor.

Pidge snap out of her stupor and stands, wide-eyed, not believing she is seeing her father again.

“Dad!”

“I will hand him over, and in exchange you give me my son Lotor.”

A shocked Pidge grits her teeth and stares at the father she thought she would never see again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are hints at a developing dynamic between Keith and Lotor in this chapter and that dynamic will build and come more out in the open in the next three chapters.
> 
> Hope you are enjoying it so far!


	4. Blood Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zarkon offers a trade – Commander Sam Holt for Prince Lotor. But can the Emperor be trusted? Allura enters negotiation with Acxa over the prisoner exchange and Keith finds himself in the middle (figuratively) as things get just a bit heated between the Princess and the General. Both sides double-cross each other, leading to the penultimate showdown between father and son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A canon-compliant chapter in terms of timeline and general flow, but definitely canon divergent.

**Prelude**

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

The Castle of Lions hovers above a desert planet. Emerging from the Castle is an Altean shuttle, carrying four passengers. They are on their way to a fateful meeting.

A meeting with Galra Emperor Zarkon.

The trip is made in complete silence. No radio chatter, no one speaking. Everyone knows what is on the line.

Landing on the planet, Pidge, Keith, and Matt emerge.

“Are you sure this is the place?”

“This is the place.”

Pidge looks around at the desolate landscape. No other living creatures are visible.

“So, where’s Zarkon?”

\---------------

FLASHBACK: The Offer

Pidge stares wide eyed at the main viewscreen in the Castle of Lions.

“Dad!”

Her father, Commander Sam Holt, is restrained by Zethrid and guarded by Ezor and Acxa. Emperor Zarkon makes the Paladins an offer they are hard-pressed to refuse.

“Bring me Lotor and the prisoner is yours. Meet my demands if you want to see the Earthling alive.”

The final image Pidge and Matt see before the screen goes blank is the defiant stare from their father.

Pidge loses all sense of restraint and becomes frantic. “He’s alive! Our dad is alive! We have to get him back!”

“We’re going to.” Matt turns to the Black Paladin. “What’s the plan, Keith?”

Keith has learned the hard way not to be impulsive, and with Pidge in the state she is in, he knows he needs to be the calm one. It’s a situation he finds extremely…uncomfortable.

“We can’t rush into anything. We have to think things through.”

“WHAT’S TO THINK THROUGH? IT’S MY DAD! WE’RE DOING THIS!”

“Pidge, we need to operate under the assumption that Zarkon will try to double-cross us.”

To Pidge, that possibility is no obstacle. “We have Voltron! We can do anything!”

Matt puts his hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down. “Pidge.”

“NO!” Pidge furiously turns on her brother. “We can’t let this opportunity slip away! We’re too close! OUR FATHER IS TOO CLOSE!”

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Through the sound of the wind blowing past the shuttle comes a dull sonic boom.

“There!”

Pointing skyward, Matt singles out a bright violet light that grows larger. The shuttle carrying Zarkon and the person they are here to trade for has arrived.

The back blast of the Galra shuttle’s engines kicks up dust and debris as it sets down a short distance from the Altean shuttle. As the engines power down, the ramp at the back of the shuttle drops. Since the rear of the shuttle directly faces them, Pidge, Matt, and Keith have a perfect view of who will emerge.

The first figure they see is the hulking shape of Zarkon.

\---------------

FLASHBACK: Maximum Security Brig on the Castle of Lions

The Paladins stand before Lotor’s cell to make the Prince aware of Zarkon’s demands. In the background, Matt and Meltok listen with great interest as Lotor launches into a passionate, almost theatrical soliloquy.

He holds his arms out palms open and facing upwards.

“My father has held the universe in a death grip for millennia…”

He closes both fists tightly.

“…but he sees it slipping from his grasp because of your efforts and because of mine. With our forces combined, we would provide the greatest threat Zarkon has ever faced. He knows we could topple his empire, so this is his attempt to tear us apart. But united, we could forge a new path, open doors to new worlds and crush the tyrannical ways of an old regime.”

Pidge isn’t impressed. She’s not buying anything Lotor is selling.

“A regime you ran.”

She turns to Allura and Keith. “We can’t listen to him. He just wants to save his own skin.”

Lotor doesn’t deny it. “It’s true. If you return me to my father, he would surely see to my demise. And with his most legitimate threat to the throne removed, he would only grow stronger.”

Pidge glares at Lotor, hatred burning in her eyes.

“One less threat to Zarkon and one less threat to us.”

Through narrowed eyes, Lotor studies Pidge carefully, before turning to Allura. “Your father, King Alfor, once stood side-by-side with Zarkon and protected the universe from harm. There was no foe the Paladins of old couldn’t defeat.” Allura stares at the Prince wide-eyed. “Sadly, that time of peace has been lost, but, together, we can find it once more.”

Lotor steps to the front of his cell, towards Allura. “Princess, imagine, a new generation that could lift the mantle of peace. The children of King Alfor and Emperor Zarkon, you and I, a royal alliance between Altean and Galra…”

Lotor’s quasi-proposal is interrupted by an irrationally furious Lance.

“How about we don’t imagine that!”

Pidge still isn’t buying it. “LIES! EVERY WORD IS A LIE!”

Lotor turns to Pidge to address her rant head-on. “And what of Zarkon’s words? You think he’ll return your father as he says? You think the corrupted leader of a ruthless empire will be true to his word? He wants more than just me.”

Keith, listening to the exchange with great interest, finally breaks his silence. “You think he’ll double-cross us.”

“I think he’d do anything to rid himself of me and claim the Lions of Voltron.”

The room falls silent for a moment, until Allura breaks it.

“An alliance with the heir to the Galra throne could end the war.”

Her words shock everyone in the room. Keith can’t quite believe that Allura, who up until now hated all things Galra is contemplating such a thing. Meltok, always suspicious of anything Lotor says, feels the hair on the back of his neck raise up.

But the one in the room most shocked is Pidge.

“What?”

Allura turns to face Pidge. “It’s not ideal. I don’t like trusting the Galra, but it could be our best option.”

Keith realizes Allura is thinking pragmatically. Well, one step at a time. She didn’t dismiss the idea of cooperation with Lotor out-of-hand.

“NO!”

“Pidge think of the lives we could save. Think of the countless worlds we could free.”

“Think of my father!”

Lance steps in to back up his diminutive friend and lets his own hatred of Lotor show through. “I’m with Pidge. Let’s get this guy out of here, pronto. Right, Hunk”

“I don’t know. I mean, if this dude is on our side like he says he is…” He turns to Lotor and meekly asks, “You are saying you’re on our side, right?”

Lotor gives Hunk an affirmative head nod.

“Couldn’t he lead the Galra toward peace from the inside?”

Pidge quakes with anger, gritting her teeth, as she hears Hunk’s words. Enough is enough.

“We are turning him in and getting my dad back!”

Her fury concerns Keith, but it frightens Lance. He can only stare at her with his mouth agape and eyes wide with shock as Pidge continues her rant.

“We have Voltron to bring peace to the Universe!”

Now it’s Lotor’s turn to lash out.

“Don’t play into Zarkon’s hands!”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Shocked by the vehemence in his command voice, everyone in the room turns and gives Keith their undivided attention. Fed up with everyone’s attitude, he takes charge of the group and makes the final decision.

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Keith reflects on how they got here and asks himself if he’s made the right decisions leading up to this day.

From across the space separating the two shuttles comes the booming voice of Zarkon. “SHOW ME LOTOR!”

In a voice not quite as booming but with the same air of authority, Keith bellows his answer. “SHOW US COMMANDER HOLT FIRST!”

Zarkon steps aside, revealing Commander Holt. Guarded by Ezor and Acxa.

Keith stares across the distance at the sight. He thinks to himself, ‘Acxa, what are you doing?’

For her part, Acxa stares across the divide at Keith, a cold expression on her face. An expression that masks her own inner turmoil. She wishes he didn’t have to see her like this.

Commander Holt’s expression changes to a guarded smile at the sight of his children.

Pidge loses control and bolts towards him. “Dad!”

Keith grabs and restrains her before she gets too far.

Zarkon’s patience grows thin. “Now, where is Lotor?”

PRESENT DAY: Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Haggar steps to the center of her sanctuary and invokes a reflection ritual. Motes of Quintessence rise around her. She screams at the top of her lungs as she penetrates the deepest recesses of her distant memories.

On her knees and panting hard, she has a disturbing vision.

A vision of a very pregnant Honerva, suffering from the effects of Quintessence poisoning. Surrounding her are several doctors and nurses. One of the doctors activates a monitor and checks the condition of the child she is carrying.

She hears the voice of a very concerned Emperor Zarkon. “Can you save the child?”

“We will try, sire. There are many complications.”

The vision fades.

In its place, from behind her, come the screams of a newborn child. A boy. Haggar gasps in surprise and turns to face a new vision. She sees a child’s hospital bed, monitors active. Inside is a frightened and screaming newborn boy. It cries out for love and receives none.

Haggar stares sadly at the child, wanting to cuddle it. She is greatly troubled for she knows why no one answers the child’s cries.

The vision fades.

Replaced by the laughter of a young boy.

She turns and in the darkness sees an eight-year old Lotor staring at her. But something is different. His eyes glow bright yellow. A solid bright yellow. The boy stares at her for a moment, then turns and runs. Haggar pursues him, but she loses him as he disappears into the darkness.

The vision fades.

Replaced by the figure of a grown man with his back to her. A man who was the boy. A man who was the newborn.

He turns to face her. Eyes glowing bright yellow, she gazes into the countenance of Lotor.

The vision fades.

Back from the journey into the recesses of her mind, a revelation descends upon her. The revelation of the identity of the newborn, of the child, of the man.

“My son…Lotor”

\---------------

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

His hands cuffed in front of him, Lotor strides defiantly out of the Altean shuttle. He stares across the distance separating him from the Galra shuttle. His gaze settles upon his father.

Above the planet, on the Castle of Lions, Allura, Coran, Lance, Hunk, and Meltok watch the scene unfold on the planet below.

“Well Lance, everything’s going according to plan.”

“That may be Hunk, but I still don’t like it. This whole thing is like making a deal with the devil.”

A frustrated Coran slams his hand down on his console. “I hate being so far out of range!”

“Zarkon’s fleet is also out of range. These are the terms we agreed on when Acxa and I met.”

Knowing Allura is right, Coran bites his lip and turns back to his screen.

**Catfight**

FLASHBACK: Negotiations on the Desert Planet

Princess Allura and Keith set down in an Altean shuttle on the Desert Planet. Waiting for them is a Galra shuttle and standing in front of it are Ezor and Acxa.

“Wait here, Keith. I need to meet with her alone.”

“Allura are you sure? I don’t like this.”

Staring across at Acxa, who is making her way to the middle ground between the shuttles she says, “I shan’t be long.” She turns and gives Keith a crooked smile. “Besides, I thought you trusted General Acxa.”

Keith remembers Meltok’s warning regarding Acxa. _‘I’m certain her experiences twisted and damaged her psyche along the way. If she is still alive…be careful. She could snap at any moment.’_

As those words ring in his ears, Keith gives Allura some final advice. “Keep your body cam on. I’ll monitor it. If anything goes wrong, say the word. Just be careful.”

Touched, she puts her hand on his arm. “I will. It’s good to know you’re looking out for me.”

As she proceeds to the meeting place, Allura makes note of Acxa’s height. Making a height adjustment, she comes face-to-face with the Galra General.

“General Acxa I presume.”

Acxa nods and greets Allura. “ _Princess Allura. You’re taller than I thought you would be.”_

Allura ignores Acxa’s mild taunt, instead giving her a hard stare. “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let’s get down to business and be on our way, shall we?”

The negotiations for the prisoner swap proceed quickly. As they wrap things up, Acxa stares into the distance towards Keith.

_“The Black Paladin looks well. Please give Keith my regards.”_

Allura looks back at Keith, and then stares coldly at Acxa. “You will refer to him as Paladin or the Black Paladin, General. And I will tell him nothing. He doesn’t need to hear any more lies from you. I’ll not be a party to it. Stay away from him.”

Hostility flares in Acxa’s eyes as she turns her full attention to Allura.

_“A little possessive are we? I call him Keith because he asked me to call him by his given name. That is how I will continue to address him.”_

Acxa takes one step towards Allura, an inner rage burning in her soul.

_“Let me be clear about something, Princess. I’m only going to say it once. I’ve never lied to Keith. I never will lie to Keith. I understand Keith. I know what it’s like to have people hate you for being Galra. I know what he’s going through…being hated for having even a drop of Galra blood. When you look at me…when you look at him…what do you see? Do you see the people we really are…or do you just see Galra? And hate us for having Galra blood?”_

_“Keith and I are both Galra. That is a truth no one can change. We are both half-breeds. That is also a truth no one can change. There is an honorable bond of respect that ties he and I together. A bond forged through shared experiences when we fought together and against each other as warriors. All of that is what he and I have in common. What do you have in common with him? Voltron? A giant robot? Don’t make me laugh.”_

“How dare you!” Allura’s eyes flash even hotter with anger.

_“How dare I? How dare you, Princess! You lecture me about being truthful when you refuse to be truthful yourself! It is well known you hate everything Galra. Does that hatred include Keith? When you look at him, do you see Keith the person, or do you see a Galra half-breed that you’re forced to work with because the Black Lion chose him as its Paladin?”_

Shocked by the sudden outburst, Allura stares at Acxa in stony silence.

_“I thought so. If you would treat him right, treat him as someone who is the sum of his combined heritage perhaps you would understand how special he truly is. You would see in him what I see in him.”_

_“We’re done here. You should leave while you can.”_

Acxa spins on her heel and storms back towards her shuttle.

Watching and listening to the entire exchange, a stunned Keith swallows the hard lump in his throat.

“Well…that happened.”

He looks up to see Allura slowly walking back towards him. In the distance he sees Ezor enter the shuttle, Acxa close behind her. She stops, turns, and looks back at him. Seeing her raise her hand to wave, he waves back.

Acxa enters the shuttle, and the door closes behind her.

**The Main Event**

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Matt guards Lotor, while Keith calls out to Zarkon.

“Send us Commander Holt!”

Staring directly at Keith, Zarkon gives his orders to Acxa and Ezor.

“Release him.”

Hands on hips, watching the Paladins, Ezor releases Commander Holt. “Move.”

Commander Holt strides down the ramp, past Zarkon, and begins to traverse the dusty plain towards the Altean shuttle.

Seeing Commander Holt clear Zarkon, Keith turns to Lotor and nods. Looking back at Keith, Lotor gives a slight, almost knowing nod towards Keith, and begins the trek across the plain towards the Galra shuttle.

While Lotor and Commander Holt approach each other, Keith whispers a warning to Matt and Pidge. “Stay alert. If Zarkon’s going to try something, now would be the time.”

The prison exchange is monitored real time in both the Castle of Lions and Zarkon’s battleship.

As Lotor approaches Commander Holt, something catches his eye. As they pass he stares sideways at the Commander. Confirming his suspicions, Lotor continues his approach to the Galra shuttle.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Pidge bolts towards her father.

“Pidge!”

This time, Keith is too slow to stop her.

“Dad!”

Throwing herself at her father, Pidge discovers the inconvenient truth Lotor detected during his walk to the Galra shuttle. Commander Holt is nothing more than a hologram. Pidge sails right through the image. The passage of her body through the hologram causes it to flicker and phase in and out.

Stopping her momentum, Pidge turns and stares back at the hologram as Matt and Keith both look on in shocked silence. The hologram flickers one final time, then fades out of existence.

Furious, Pidge turns and screams towards Zarkon.

“NO!”

Inside the shuttle, Pidge sees Zethrid drag her father out into the open. Off to the side at the foot of the ramp, behind Zarkon, Acxa guards Lotor.

“NO! NO! WE HAD A DEAL! WE HAD A DEAL! GIVE ME MY FATHER!”

On the Castle of Lions, Zarkon’s duplicity is observed in real time.

“Lotor was right. Zarkon double-crossed us.”

Lance turns to Allura and Hunk. “Everyone get to your lions! We’re going in!”

Allura stops him.

“Lance, we can’t. Zarkon still has Commander Holt. If we go in, we put his life in jeopardy.”

Coran reminds Lance of another inconvenient truth. “Allura’s right. If we move in, Zarkon’s fleet moves in as well.”

“Yeah, but without Lotor as our prisoner, we don’t hold any cards. We’re powerless. What do we do?”

“We hold our positions, Hunk.”

\---------------

PRESENT DAY: Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Haggar approaches Commander Ladnok on the Bridge of the giant battleship.

“Where is Zarkon?”

Ladnok turns, does not salute, and provides the requested information.

“The Si-Vim Quadrant on a hostage exchange mission to retrieve Lotor.”

“Retrieve Lotor?” Shocked, Haggar is speechless.

“No!”

\---------------

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Acxa checks Lotor’s bindings. Making an adjustment, she looks the Prince in the eye and almost imperceptibly nods her head.

While she is dealing with Lotor, Zarkon makes a new demand.

“If you want this Earthling returned alive, you will forfeit Voltron to me immediately!”

Pidge once again is beside herself as she is restrained by her brother. “No! No! We have to get Dad!”

“Keith?”

For reasons Matt can’t fathom, Keith does not appear concerned. “Hold your positions until the time is right.”

Silence ensues as the two sides size each other up. Lotor shoots a sideways glance towards Acxa. She is focused on what is going on in front of her.

Zarkon’s patience is exhausted.

“Bring the Lions, now!”

A flash erupts behind Zarkon as Acxa grunts in pain. Turning, Zarkon sees an unbound Lotor leaping to attack him…in possession of the Black Bayard!

Zarkon ducks out of the way just before Lotor’s powerful blow hits home. When the Bayard, in the shape of a Galran sword, strikes the ground, Zarkon is driven backwards by the force of the impact.

Everyone on both sides of the exchange look on in shock. Everyone except for two people.

Keith is one.

Acxa is the other.

\---------------

Regaining his footing after being knocked backwards, Zarkon pauses to size up the threat before him. Lotor stands, defiant, in possession of the Black Bayard.

A weapon no one knew he could master.

A weapon no one knew he had.

Except for the same two people who are not surprised by the turn of events.

Overcoming his initial surprise, Zarkon challenges his son. “So, the time has come. This ends today.”

Bayard sword drawn, Lotor charges at his father. Equally determined, Zarkon charges him as well. Both combatants pick up speed as they race towards each other.

Lotor leaps into the air and with his right hand brings down a powerful stroke onto Zarkon. Zarkon meets the blow with his fist. The force of the impact sends a shock wave out across the planet as both combatants grunt and struggle against the deadlock they find themselves in.

\---------------

Keith turns to Matt and Pidge. It’s time to go into action.

“We need to get Commander Holt!”

Pidge needs no further encouragement. She takes off, jetpacks blazing, towards the Galra shuttle, with Keith and Matt close behind.

The ramp to the shuttle closes as the Generals drag Commander Holt back inside.

PRESENT DAY: Bridge, Castle of Lions

“Pidge, Keith, and Matt are moving in!”

Coran sees one thing he doesn’t like. “Zarkon’s fleet’s mobilizing as well!”

As the right arm of Voltron, Lance calls the rest of the team into action. The final barrier to them joining the fight was just removed.

“Everyone get to your Lions. We need to protect our team and get Commander Holt.”

Moments later, Red, Blue, and Yellow emerge from the Castle of Lions. On the Bridge, Coran monitors their movement as well as the movement of the Galra fleet.

He decides at that moment he is not sitting out this fight.

PRESENT DAY: The Galra Shuttle

The Galra shuttle lifts off from the desert planet, pursued by three figures in jetpacks.

All three land on the outer skin of the shuttle. Pulling their Bayards, Keith and Pidge punch them into the shuttle’s hull plating.

“We can’t let the shuttle dock with the battleship!”

Keith couldn’t agree more. “We need backup.”

He opens his direct communications link to the Red Lion. “Lance! We could use a little help down here!”

“We’re already on our way!”

The three Lions make their way towards the Galra shuttle at maximum speed.

\---------------

Aboard the Galra shuttle, Commander Holt is guarded by Zethrid as Acxa pilots the shuttle. All seems well until a massive chunk of the shuttle’s roof crashes to the deck. Followed closely by Keith, Pidge, and Matt.

Along with the other Generals, Acxa turns in surprise at the commotion. She locks eyes with Keith for a moment. His eyes burn with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

Acxa realizes the one thing she didn’t want to happen today is unfolding right in front of her.

She doesn’t want to fight him.

Matt and the two Paladins assume ready positions as they scan the situation in front of them. Pidge, the smallest person present, points her Bayard at Zethrid, the largest person present. Speaking a language she knows the giant Galra will understand, Pidge issues a challenge.

“Hey! Let my dad go!”

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

The duel between Zarkon and Lotor continues in full force, as Zarkon parries another sword strike from Lotor with the armor on his forearm. He counters with a mighty uppercut that knocks Lotor back several yards.

Keeping his footing, Lotor recovers quickly and charges Zarkon yet again. Three quick and powerful sword strikes are each parried by the hulking Galra Emperor. Zarkon locks Lotor’s sword on the third strike and hits him again with a powerful right cross.

Sent sprawling by the blow, Lotor regains his footing. Looking up, he spots an airborne Zarkon coming down on him with both fists raised in the air. Lotor backs up out of the way as Zarkon slams his fists into the ground. Somersaulting to control the effect of the shockwave on his body, Lotor lands several yards away.

Zarkon picks up and hurls a massive boulder towards Lotor. Seeing the giant rock hurtling end-over-end towards him, the Prince slices the rock to pieces with the Bayard sword.

Zarkon hurls a taunt towards his son.

“You want the throne? Even with the power of the Black Bayard, you’re too weak. You’ll always be weak. You have Altean blood running through your veins, poisoning your very being. Finally, my darkest shame can be wiped from the universe forever.”

Lotor takes his turn to throw the taunt right back at his father.

“You speak to me of weakness? You’ve become nothing more than one of the witch’s monsters. Does she control you as well? Tell me, what does it feel like to grow weaker and weaker? Does the memory of power haunt you? Is that why you strive for Voltron so desperately?”

“All see it clearly. Without that Lion, without this Bayard, you’re nothing!”

Pushed to the edge by Lotor’s taunts, Zarkon draws down a massive quantity from the two Quintessence modules protruding from his back. As the power of the enhanced Quintessence courses through him, his suit takes on an eerie violet glow.

“You want to see my power?” Zarkon’s eyes glow a bright white tinged with purple. With the force of his mind, he raises large chunks of rocks around him. “The strength of the Empire flows through my veins, and you will feel its wrath!”

Wide-eyed just for a moment, Lotor steels himself as his father makes an abnormally fast charge against him. Lotor changes his Bayard weapon to a sword-like whip. He takes a swing at the speeding Emperor.

And misses.

Shocked, he turns to see Zarkon bearing down on him. Throwing himself in the air, Zarkon lands a spinning leg kick that drives Lotor back thirty yards. Skidding to a stop on his knees, he struggles to regain his senses and composure before Zarkon can strike again.

He stands just as Zarkon unleashes another leg kick. Using the Bayard sword, Lotor parries the blow. The Prince leaps into the air and brings down another powerful strike. A strike parried by Zarkon’s fist.

As the dust from the blow clears, a horrified Lotor sees that Zarkon has a firm grip on the blade of the sword. He hurls Lotor, sword and all, fifty yards away.

Lotor lands with a thud and rolls twice. Looking up, he sees an airborne Zarkon bearing down on him. Gasping in surprise, he rolls out of the way. Zarkon lands, both fists punching the ground where Lotor lay just a tick before.

PRESENT DAY: The Galra Shuttle

Aboard the shuttle, much to Acxa’s relief, Ezor makes a move towards Keith. She wants to finish the fight they started in the cargo hold of the supply ship on Ulippa. Ezor gives him an acrobatic spin move and kick, which he parries with his arm. Undeterred, she comes at him with three more spin moves, all three of which Keith dodges.

Ezor is perplexed, as any one of those blows should have landed and taken him out. Instead Keith gloats at her. “Nice try. I learned a few things from our last fight.” Tired of being on the defensive, Keith charges her.

Behind them, Matt takes on Zethrid. Parrying her first few blows, Zethrid lands a hard punch that sends Matt backwards over a crate. Recovering quickly, he jumps at Zethrid and barely misses her with a swing from his staff.

Seeing her brother in need of help, Pidge joins the fight. She swings at Zethrid with her Bayard whip while Matt circles behind her. Temporarily misoriented and confused, Zethrid takes a quick peek behind her to assess the threat from Matt.

Zethrid parries a strike from Matt’s staff and turns to face Pidge. Pidge crosses her up by racing past her and charging Acxa.

Still piloting the shuttle even with the entrance of the Paladins, Acxa is desperately trying to rendezvous with an incoming Galra cruiser.

Seeing Pidge’s imminent attack, Acxa pulls the controls back towards her and puts the shuttle into a steep climb. Thrown off balance and tossed backwards by the change in the shuttle’s pitch, Pidge struggles to regain her balance. Complicating matters are the crates that are also sliding backwards as a result of the steep climb.

Seeing the crates coming, Keith ducks out of the way. Ezor isn’t as fortunate as she turns just in time to spot the crate that slams into her.

Pidge leaps over the crates coming at her. She takes aim at the pilot’s chair and launches her Bayard whip at it. The whip embeds itself into the back of the chair with a heavy thud. Acxa feels the impact but with her back to Pidge she isn’t sure what it is.

Using the Bayard, Pidge quickly reels herself in and slams into the back of Acxa’s seat. The impact of Pidge on the back of the chair propels Acxa forward. Her head slams into the control panel, stunning her. Acxa’s forward momentum also pushes the control levers forward and powers down the engines.

The shuttle is now effectively in a free-fall, and the occupants find themselves in a zero-gravity situation.

As a dazed Acxa struggles to regain her senses, Pidge races over to release the bonds holding her father in place.

“Hold on, Dad”

Now free, Commander Holt stares gratefully into his daughter’s eyes.

“Thanks, Katie.”

The happy reunion lasts two ticks as both look out the forward viewports of the shuttle and see the surface of the desert planet rapidly approaching them.

“Katie, the ships’ going to crash!”

Pidge jumps into the pilot seat and is about to grab the controls when a very angry Acxa jumps her. As the two wrestle in the weightless environment, Pidge calls out to her father.

“Dad, get the controls!”

Commander Holt attempts to jump into the pilot seat. Seeing this, Acxa propels herself and Pidge into him, knocking all of them away from the controls.

Commander Holt calls out to Keith and Matt.

“Oh! A little help, guys!

Keith has re-engaged his bout with Ezor.

“Just a sec.”

Matt is still battling Zethrid.

“Kinda busy here, Dad.”

PRESENT DAY: Skies above the Desert Planet

Red, Blue, and Yellow streak above the desert planet and head towards the incoming Galra cruiser squadron. The Galra cruisers lay down a blistering layer of fire. High above the battle, Zarkon’s battleship, with two cruiser squadrons in reserve, monitors the battle closely.

In command of the group of Lions, Lance contacts Hunk and Allura.

“We can’t let the Galra get that shuttle!”

Hunk and Allura respond in unison. “Copy that!”

Placing their Bayards into the Bayard Ports, the Lions form their jawblades. The battle with the cruiser squadron is over in a matter of doboshes, with all cruisers destroyed.

With only a few remaining Galra fighters to contend with, the Lions continue on their way to intercept the shuttle.

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Against the backdrop of crashing and exploding Galra fighters, the battle between Lotor and Zarkon continues. Strike and counterstrike are rendered, until Zarkon catches Lotor with a gut punch, knocking him thirty yards backwards.

Zarkon leaps into the air to deliver a killing strike. He drains his remaining Quintessence reserves as he closes in on Lotor. The Prince leaps out of the way before Zarkon lands. Once again, the Emperors’ blow lands on the surface of the planet, and not on his son.

As Zarkon recovers, Lotor charges him. Leaping into the air, Lotor lands a strike on Zarkon’s back that penetrates his armor and draws blood. Zarkon stands, screaming in pain as the Quintessence infusion system mounted to his back shorts out and explodes.

Lotor pauses, studying Zarkon to determine what effect, if any, his strike had on his father.

Zarkon’s blood drips from his blade.

The Emperor is staggered but is not defeated. Groaning, he turns to face his son.

He summons his remaining Quintessence reserves and charges Lotor once again.

PRESENT DAY: The Skies above the Desert Planet

A second wave of cruisers descends towards the planet and engages the three Lions.

Battling his way through the fighter screen, Lance climbs high above the battlefield. Looking to his left he spots a cruiser with a Zaiforge cannon mounted on its upper bow.

The cannon is fully charged and about to lay a full power blast on him. Convinced he’s about to meet his end, Lance draws a deep breath, anticipating the strike.

A strike that never comes.

From above, three massive ion cannon shots strike the cannon and the top of the cruiser. The Zaiforge cannon explodes, taking the rest of the cruiser with it.

Descending from above and joining the battle is the Castle of Lions.

“Thought you Paladins could use a little help!”

The combined firepower of the three Lions and the Castle quickly proves to be too much for the overmatched Galra cruisers. Three manage to break away and escape, while the others are destroyed.

“We did it!”

“Nice work!”

Lance calls Keith to check on his status.

“Keith, Pidge, the sky has been cleared of all Galra for the moment. What’s your status?”

PRESENT DAY: The Galra Shuttle

“SHUTTLE IS NOT CLEAR YET!” The urgency in Pidge’s voice belies the urgency on the shuttle as it plummets down toward the desert planet.

Three separate fights continue in the shuttle.

Acxa and Pidge continue their wrestling match. Acxa manages to get a foot on Pidge’s chest and pushes her away with incredible force. Pidge slams into the back of the co-pilot’s seat and somersaults over it.

Recovering, she takes quick aim and launches her Bayard whip at Acxa. The whip slams into her chest, sending the General into her own backwards somersault towards the rear of the craft.

At the same time Pidge and Acxa are going at it, Matt and Zethrid are still battling. Zethrid charges at Matt, who ducks and strikes her ankles with his staff. Knocked off balance, Zethrid is struck in the jaw by a hard swing of his staff. Thrown into the air, Zethrid is body-slammed by the tumbling Acxa.

Further to the rear of the shuttle, Keith and Ezor are still at it. Pushed backwards by Ezor, Keith slices the strap securing several storage crates, including the one Ezor stands on. Teetering on the now-floating crates, Ezor is crunched by the tangled bodies that are her two sister Generals.

The three of them wind up in a heap at the rear of the shuttle.

While all of this is going on, Commander Holt works his way into the pilot’s seat and takes the controls.

“Hold on!”

Commander Holt restarts the engines and pulls back hard on the control levers. He stops the rapid descent of the shuttle and puts it back on a steep climb. The change in flight attitude and the powering up of the engines restores gravity to the shuttle.

The sudden restoration of gravity and the G-forces of the shuttle’s acceleration and climb slams the three Generals against the rear access hatch. Fighting against the powerful G-forces, Pidge manages to hit the emergency release button for the rear hatch. Despite their efforts to resist, the three Generals are sucked out of the shuttle.

Tumbling head-over-heels, the Generals manage to get their own jetpacks started in time to break their falls towards the planet. Landing hard, the dazed trio do their best to quickly recover.

Watching the shuttle move away from them, they all know their bad day is about to get much worse.

On the shuttle, Commander Holt collapses back into the pilot’s seat, exhausted. Concerned for his well-being, Pidge rushes to check on him. Falling into his arms, she gives her father a very firm hug.

“Dad!”

A hug that is returned in great measure by an overjoyed Commander Holt.

“Dad, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Katie!”

Matt joins them and the three mesh together in a family group hug.

Standing behind them, Keith smiles broadly at the sight of the Holt family reunion. Walking towards them, he contacts Lance.

“The shuttle is clear.”

“Nice job, team!”

Keith takes over as pilot of the shuttle as the Lions meet up with them. Settling in, a thought strikes him.

“Lance, where are Lotor and Zarkon?”

Looking off to his right, Lance sees massive dust clouds erupting.

“My guess is they are over there.”

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

The fight against his father takes a turn for the worse for Lotor. Rocked by a hard fist to the jaw, Lotor is separated from the Black Bayard. Before he can recover, Zarkon pounces on it.

Now in possession of the Black Bayard, Zarkon prepares to finish off his enemies. He forms a portable Zaiforge cannon and points it at Lotor.

Defiant to the end, the Prince refuses to back down.

“Your fleet has been destroyed.” Groaning and grimacing from the pain of multiple cracked ribs, Lotor does his best to stand and confront his father. If he is going to die, he refuses to go down as a coward. “It’s over.”

Zarkon powers up the weapon. “It’s over…for you.”

Before the Emperor can pull the trigger, three near misses from ion cannon strike all around him. Looking up, Zarkon sees three Lions of Voltron charging at him.

As the dust from the ion strikes clears, Lance and the others spot the purple glow of Zarkon’s Zaiforge cannon powering up.

Knowing he must take immediate action, Lotor charges at Zarkon from behind. Gathering a long sharp piece of metallic debris, Lotor launches himself at the Emperor. Distracted by his planned attack on the Lions, Zarkon does not sense him coming until the very end.

The shaft penetrates Zarkon’s armor, entering his back and exiting through his chest. Zarkon screams in agony to the high heavens as the Zaiforge cannon shot, intended for the Paladins, goes astray.

On his knees, Zarkon struggles to breathe. The Black Bayard tumbles out of his grip, landing on its side on the surface of the planet.

The Prince and heir apparent to the Galra throne watches a scene he’s anticipated for most of his adult life.

Zarkon, Emperor of the Galra Empire for 10,000 decaphoebs, master and dictator of most of the known universe draws his last breath.

The monster is dead.

Doing his best to stand erect and draw a breath, Lotor looks to the shuttle and flags them down.

**Postlude**

PRESENT DAY: The Galra Shuttle

With Lotor safely aboard and in the co-pilots seat, Keith turns to him, a sense of urgency burning in his eyes.

“I have one question for you and you better answer it. I don’t have time for games. Was she your contact?”

Grasping at his ribs and struggling for breath, Lotor is genuinely puzzled by the question. “She, who?”

“You know damn well who, Lotor. No games! Was she your contact? Yes or no!”

Lotor pauses, studying Keith. Given the Paladin’s current emotional state he decides not to push his luck.

“Yes.”

Keith contacts the Lions. “Team follow me. We have one more pickup to make.”

“Keith, we have everyone. Who’s left?”

“Who do you think, Hunk?”

PRESENT DAY: The Desert Planet

Peering into the sky, Zethrid can’t believe what she is seeing.

“Are they coming back this way?”

“Yeah…they’re either going to pick us up or kill us.”

Standing apart from the others, Acxa receives a text message on her personal communication device.

‘I’m coming down to get you. I’m not leaving you behind.’

Looking into the sky she sees a third wave of Galra cruisers, and Zarkon’s battleship, coming down for the attack.

_“No…not now…”_

Knowing that any attempt to pick them up is tantamount to suicide, Acxa sends a terse reply.

‘ _Go! Get out of here you fool! Leave me!_ ’'

\---------------

“Keith, we’ve got to go, now! We can’t handle that battleship! Not without Voltron!”

Closing his eyes and clenching his teeth and fists, Keith gives a low growl. With Acxa’s terse reply burned into his brain, and Ion blasts from the cruisers flying past them, he knows Lance is right.

“Everyone hang on to something! We’re getting out of here fast!”

As they race for a rendezvous with the Castle of Lions, Keith looks back at the desert planet one last time.

“I’m sorry, Acxa. I’ll come for you…someday. Be safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments on two scenes  
> First, the Acxa and Allura scene (Catfight) - The genesis of this scene is a Tumblr post I came upon in which someone said something to the effect of 'wouldn't it be cool if Acxa and Allura had a scene in which they argued over Keith'. Well, if you read this far you saw my take on it. This is not by any means a throw-away scene. It has far-reaching consequences for both Allura and Keith.  
> Second, the scene at the end where Keith attempts to pick up Acxa from the desert planet only to be chased away by a Galra cruiser fleet. Right now these two can't catch a break. We'll see what happens going forward.  
> Next chapter will post in about ten days, so around 18 May 2020. Thank you for reading!


	5. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zarkon is dead. The Paladins regroup and recover on the Castle of Lions and reflect. Keith is haunted by is failure to rescue Acxa following their battle in the shuttle. Hunk uses an unusual method to get Keith to talk while Meltok uses tough love to snap the smitten Paladin out of his funk. Imprisoned on Haggar’s flagship, Acxa endures reflection and self-doubt of her own as she ponders the true meaning of Keith’s reckless attempt to rescue her from the desert planet. A slip of the tongue by the Master Chief leads to a bombshell revelation for Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READERS CHALLENGE: Before reading this chapter, go out to YouTube or Google and pull up Reflections by the Supremes. It's an old song, older than most readers, but it's a good one. Listen to it with a pair of headphones if you can. Especially the beginning. I came across it recently and thought it fit in well with this chapter. You'll see lyrical snippets from that song scattered throughout the chapter.  
> This chapter concerns reflections on past events and decisions, and their emotional impact on the characters. The list of character reflections in this chapter is long: Keith, Acxa, Allura, Pidge, Matt, Commander Holt, Haggar, and Meltok.  
> This chapter contains the key information that was left out of the original Postmortem episode. It delves into the ramifications of the events on the desert planet and it is an important setup to the rest of this work. It is completely canon divergent

**AFTERMATH**

> _"Through the mirror of my mind,_
> 
> _Time after time,_
> 
> _I see reflections of you and me. 1"_

The Desert Planet

_“Ezor, Zethrid. Follow me!”_

The sense of urgency in Acxa’s voice reflects the urgency of the situation the Generals find themselves in.

“Where are we going?”

_“Somewhere other than here, Ezor. We’re not going to sit around and wait to be arrested.”_

“Arrested? For what?”

Acxa does not break stride, and instead breaks into a full-blown sprint.

_“Zarkon is dead and Lotor is gone. We are Lotor’s Generals and we were supposed to safeguard the Emperor. What do you think Haggar will do if the Galra catch us!”_

Zethrid grabs Ezor by the scruff of the neck to hurry her along. “Yeah, good point. Uh, Acxa, where are we going?”

_“Kei…the Black Paladin left an Altean shuttle behind. We’re taking that!”_

\---------------

Once airborne, the Altean shuttle immediately comes under fire from the Galra fighters screening the battle group. Acxa turns the shuttle in the opposite direction from that taken by the Paladins.

“Acxa, why are we going this way?”

_“I’m trying to split our pursuers. Half have already gone after the Paladins. We don’t want to go that way, so we’ll go the other way. That way only half can come after us. It may not improve the odds by much, but it improves the odds.”_

“Oh, ok. That makes…”

Before Ezor can finish her sentence, the shuttle is rocked by an explosion. As the shuttle begins to lose altitude it is rocked by another jolt, and their descent towards the planet halts. Looking up they find their shuttle captured in the tractor beam of a Galra cruiser.

Knowing there is nothing she can do to extricate them from their predicament, Acxa dejectedly slumps back into the pilots chair. Reaching out to her from behind, Zethrid pats her shoulder reassuringly.

“It was worth a try, Acxa. You did your best to get us out of here. This is better than sitting on the planet waiting to die.”

Taking small comfort in Zethrid’s words, she casts a glance in the direction Keith took the Paladins. She silently utters a prayer hoping that they successfully escaped.

Unknown to Acxa, her efforts to escape the desert planet created the distraction that allowed the Paladins to clear the area.

Arrival on Castle of Lions

Touching down in the Hangar Bay of the Castle, Keith helps Lotor off the shuttle. In agony from two broken ribs and suffering a concussion, Lotor is placed on a gurney and taken to Sick Bay by two members of the Blade of Marmora. Allura goes with him to see to his care.

Commander Holt is also taken to Sick Bay, but he is physically able to walk to it. He is accompanied by Pidge and Matt, who will see to his care.

With Allura and Commander Holt off to Sick Bay, Keith requests a situation report. “Coran, what’s the status of the Galra battle group? Are they chasing us?”

“No. It looks like they are still circling the desert planet. My guess is that they are recovering Zarkon’s body and trying to figure out what happened. Whatever they’re doing, we’re not waiting around to find out. We’re on our way to Olkarion.”

Keith hears Coran’s words, but doesn’t really listen. He is clearly distracted by something else.

“Thanks, Coran.” Keith points to the doorway. “I’m going to…head to my quarters.” He turns, dejected, and makes his way out of the Hangar Bay.

Hunk, Lance, and Meltok observe his behavior with interest.

“I don’t get it. Zarkon is dead, we recovered Commander Holt alive, and everyone came back more or less in good shape. Except for Lotor, and well, he doesn’t count.”

Hunk, watching Keith depart, gives Lance a slightly cryptic answer. “He left someone behind. Someone he was ready to fight an entire Galra battle group for.”

“Huh? Who?”

Meltok stands next to Hunk, looking at the door Keith just passed through. “Did they fight, Hunk?”

“I don’t know how everyone squared off, but I know there was a fight in the shuttle. Somehow the Generals wound up on the planet. He didn’t want to leave her behind. In fact, he was very insistent we not leave her behind. I don’t pretend to understand why.”

Still not following the conversation, Lance’s frustration shows. “Her who? Who was he going back for?”

Meltok wheels to face Lance and gives him a blunt answer. “Acxa. You need to keep up with the conversation if you wish to participate in it.”

Finished with Lance, Meltok turns to answer Hunk’s question. “He didn’t want to leave her behind because of their warriors bond, Hunk. Their experiences together, as opponents and allies, forged a bond between them. His first instinct after defeating her was to reach out to save her life. It’s a sign of respect for an honorable opponent and from what Keith told me she saved him as often as he saved her. He knew if he left her to face capture she would probably be executed.”

“Yeah, well, that explains why he’s so upset. You’re one of his…what do you call it…elders? It might be a good idea for you to talk to him.”

“We’re talking about Acxa? Her? Good thing we left her behind. She’s a bad egg. Allura says so.”

Meltok and Hunk, both highly annoyed, turn on Lance. “Lance don’t let Keith hear you say that. If you bad mouth someone he cares about, I guarantee he will twist you into a pretzel.”

“Fine, whatever Hunk. I don’t know why he’s wasting his time thinking about her anyway.” An irritated Lance storms towards the doorway and exits the Hangar Bay.

Meltok, mildly amused at the banter between Hunk and Lance, turns back to Hunk. “Right now, Keith doesn’t need an elder. He needs a friend he trusts to listen to him. Kolivan tells me you fit that description. Please, if you value him as a friend, go talk to him.”

Hunk eyes Meltok suspiciously. “Let me get this straight. You want me to talk to him and then tell you what we talked about?”

“No. What is said between the two of you must stay between the two of you, unless he tells you otherwise. I do not want you to break the trust Keith has in you.”

Meltok looks at the doorway Keith passed through. “Keith is a loner. He needs to learn that he has friends, and it’s not a sign of weakness to lean on them from time to time.”

Hunk, realizing Meltok is not asking him to rat out his friend, agrees to his request. “Ok. I’ll go talk to him, but I’m going to wait before doing it. He needs a few doboshes to himself first.”

**THE WAY LIFE USED TO BE.**

> _"Oh, I’m all alone now, no love to shield me._
> 
> _Trapped in world that’s a distorted reality 1"_

Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

A distraught Haggar is led into the chamber of the Emperor, where his body is laid out. She stares sadly at the man who for 10,000 decaphoebs held most of the known universe firmly in his grasp.

For most of that time, due to Quintessence overexposure, she lost all memory of Zarkon as her husband. Now, just as her memories of that time have returned, she’s lost Zarkon.

Alone with her thoughts, she begins to reflect on recently revealed memories of a time long ago, before either of them were corrupted by an all-powerful appetite for Quintessence.

She thinks back to the day they met. King Alfor of Altea introduced her to Zarkon while the big burly Emperor was being terrorized by her cat.

Terrifying…that was the word he later used to describe to others his first encounter with Kova. He was really describing his first reaction to seeing Honerva. She smiles, remembering the wide-eyed look of terror on his face when they first met. He couldn’t leave the room fast enough. Feeling put out at first, she turned to Alfor and commented that he didn’t stay long.

Alfor turned to her and said “My friend, you’ve done what no one has ever done before. You’ve struck fear into the heart of the Galra Emperor. Don’t worry. He’ll be back.”

The Altean king was right. Zarkon did come back. He kept finding excuses to come by her research facility on Diabazaal. He would ask her questions that she knew he knew the answers to, just to make conversation. Slowly his confidence grew, and as it grew his shyness abated. She found him to be a confident warrior who was anything but confident in things that did not deal with the battlefield or ruling the Empire.

He came to her one day, carrying a small box.

“Honerva, I…I have something for you.”

Opening the box, she found an intricately engraved gold bracelet. “Zarkon, this is beautiful. Would you tell me what this is? It looks…important.”

“This belonged to my mother. It is called a Naramek. It is an object presented by a Galra to their intended as part of the Dvoreni ritual.”

“Dvoreni ritual? Intended? I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with many Galra customs.”

“Understandable. I am happy to explain.” Zarkon took a deep breath, and if she remembers correctly he started to break out into a sweat. “The Dvoreni is…the Galra courtship ritual. Honerva, may I…respectfully…court you? As my…intended?”

Haggar remembers how her heart melted at that moment. He didn’t have to explain what he meant by the word intended. It was obvious. She put the Naramek on her left wrist, then cupped his cheek with the same hand. “Yes, Zarkon. I would like that…very much.”

The smile on his face at that moment lit up the room.

Their courtship lasted a decaphoeb. Zarkon was a daily visitor to her lab. In keeping with the Dvoreni ritual, he brought her a gift every quintant. Small trinkets, flowers, little things to remind her that he thought of her every quintant. One of her Galra lab assistants let her know that as part of the ritual she should be gifting Zarkon in kind. The first day she presented him with a small token, he sat there and stared at it adoringly.

Kova eventually lost his fear of Zarkon, and the cat would frequently try to get on his broad shoulders. The Emperor never really warmed up to Kova, but he also didn’t hate him. He tolerated Kova’s presence because she loved that cat.

And Zarkon loved her.

She is jarred from her reverie and brought back to reality by an insistent Commander Ladnok.

“Excuse me, High Priestess. We’ve captured Lotor’s Generals. The ones who failed in their duty to protect the Emperor. What shall we do with them?” Ladnok pauses as a malicious smile crosses her face. “Execute them as the traitors they are?”

“No. Stay your hand, Commander Ladnok. Do not kill them. They may be useful. Tell Macidus to interrogate them, but he is not to use torture.”

“Don’t use torture? But High Priestess…they are half-breed trash, not worth the air they breathe. They were supposed to protect the Emperor and failed miserably! The blue one, Acxa, is arrogant and must be put in her place! The big one is belligerent, and the attitude of the pink one…”

Haggar holds up her hand to silence Commander Ladnok. “You have your orders, Commander. I expect you to carry them out. Now!”

**MEMORIES**

> "Happiness you took from me,
> 
> and left me alone with only memories
> 
> Through the mirror of my mind;
> 
> Through these tears that I’m cryin,
> 
> Reflects a hurt I can’t control 1"

Keith’s Quarters, Castle of Lions

Stripped down to his body suit, Keith lies on his bed, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Physically healthy despite his fight with Ezor, he is an emotional wreck as he wrestles with a jumble of thoughts. His mind takes him back to the negotiations on the desert planet between Acxa and Allura. Negotiations that set up the fateful meeting with Zarkon.

He recalls Acxa’s final words to Allura.

‘ _If you would treat him right, treat him as someone who is the sum of his combined heritage perhaps you would understand how special he truly is. You would see in him what I see in him.’_

Replaying those two sentences over and over in his mind, he is beset by several questions he cannot answer.

Does she _really_ see anything in him? Or were those just words to antagonize Allura? She wouldn’t use him that way, as a prop to get under the skin of an adversary. Would she? She’s always been honest; brutally honest at times, but honest nonetheless. That’s one of many things he likes about her. She must feel something for him, right?

Or perhaps he is mistaken. Perhaps he misunderstood the true meaning behind her words. Perhaps she feels nothing for him. She said he was special, but she didn’t say she cared for him in any way. Perhaps it’s just friendship and nothing more.

Acxa pushed him away when he wanted to come for her. Was that for his own good? Is she angry with him? Does she really hate him?

He is torn by conflicting emotions. Emotions he’s never had to contend with before.

Throwing on his civilian clothes, he makes for the Paladin Lounge.

“I’ve got to clear my head…I’ve got to stop thinking about her!”

Brig on Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Acxa sits in her prison cell with Ezor and Zethrid. While not alone in her cell, she is alone with her thoughts.

He was coming back for her. Again. Just like he did when she was stranded on Braylar IV. Why would he risk his life to save hers? What is she to him? For that matter, what is he to her?

As he did at Braylar IV, after she was defeated in battle on the shuttle he refused to let her suffer the consequences. He told her he wasn’t leaving her behind. He was willing to take on an entire Galra battle group, in an unarmed shuttle of all things, to get to her.

It was a suicide mission and she couldn’t let him do it. Against her own desires and for his own good, she pushed him away. Harshly. She knows it was the right thing to do. But she feels horrible for doing it. He probably hates her now.

She hopes he understands why she did it. She hopes…someday…to see him again. To explain herself.

Acxa closes her eyes tightly and wonders why this man is affecting her in such a way. She called him special during her confrontation with Princess Allura.

She meant it. He is special. That is what he is to her.

As the chill of the prison cell sets in, a cold reality comes with it.

She may never get the opportunity to see him again.

**CATCH-UP**

> _"Cause although you’re gone,_
> 
> _I keep holdin’ on_
> 
> _To the happy times,_
> 
> _Ohh when you were mine 1"_

Sick Bay, Castle of Lions

While Keith and Acxa wrestle with their demons, Commander Holt is given a physical examination by a Coalition Med Tech. Receiving a clean bill of health, but ordered to stay in med bay for observation, he takes some time to catch up with his children.

Commander Holt tells Matt and Pidge about his imprisonment starting from the time he, Shiro, and Matt were captured and imprisoned by the Galra while on the Kerberos mission.

Separated from the others following their capture, Commander Holt was interrogated several times by the Druids. It was not a pleasant experience as the interrogations included torture. It was during one of these interrogation sessions that the Druids discovered he was a scientist.

“I was sent, along with other captured scientists, to a special research prison. I expected to find the accommodations spartan; I didn’t expect to find them clean and livable. Since my specialties are in the fields of electrical engineering and quantum physics, I was assigned to Ion weapons research.”

“The work was hard, the hours were long, but I fell into a routine. Though initially frowned upon by the guards, I struck up friendly relationships with my fellow scientists. It was these interpersonal relationships that allowed me to continue. Those, and the thoughts of my family, who I was determined to see again.”

“The prison fell under the jurisdiction of the Crown Prince of the Galra Empire. Prince Lotor. I never met Lotor during the time I was incarcerated at the prison, but all my research and findings were turned over to the Prince on a regular basis. What the Galra did with that research was never made clear to me.”

“I remained at the prison, under strict lockdown, until it was visited by a trio of rather violent women, dressed in Blue and black uniforms with orange highlights. Uniforms that did not match the uniforms of other Galra military officers. One of the scientists told me those colors were Lotor’s livery colors.”

“They arrived in a most unusual way. They destroyed the sentry droids guarding the prison. They had the attitude and demeanor of cornered wild animals. As if they were being hunted. What was most concerning was that they came looking for me.”

Matt fills in the missing details for his father. “Those were Lotor’s Generals. They raided the prison shortly after Zarkon took the throne back from Lotor.”

“Took it back?”

Pidge takes over the story at this point. “Right, you don’t know what happened after you were separated from Shiro and Matt. Shiro escaped from the Galra and made his way back to Earth. He was captured and held by the Garrison because he was missing for over a decaphoeb. He was kept in quarantine until Keith broke into the confinement area and got him out. Lance, Hunk, and I joined them, and the next day we found the Blue Lion on Earth. To make a really long story short, we boarded the Lion, it took us to the Castle of Lions, we met Allura and Coran, and we became Paladins of Voltron.”

Commander Holt stares at his daughter. “Just like that?”

“Yup! Just like that. We learned how to fly the Lions and become Voltron, fought the Galra for a while, and then we teamed up with the Blade of Marmora. Shiro and the Blade Master…Kolivan…came up with a plan to take down Zarkon. We fought in a huge battle. We badly wounded Zarkon and Lotor took over for him…and we lost Shiro in the battle.”

“Lost him, Katie?”

She sadly looks at her father. “He died, Dad.”

Commander Holt grits his teeth and looks over at his son. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know you looked up to him, Matt. I did too. He was a good man.”

“Thanks, Dad. He saved my life in the arena on Galra Central Command when I was about to be sacrificed to a Galra gladiator. He died a hero.” Matt takes a deep breath and continues the conversation. “While Pidge and the others were learning how to be Paladins, Rebels broke me out of the prison I was in and I joined up with them. Pidge found me a few phoebs later.”

“Wow. It’s been one adventure after another with you two.” He pauses for a moment and then turns to Matt with a quizzical look on his face.

“When I got off the shuttle, I noticed some Galra in the Hangar Bay. Who are they?”

Matt smiles and perks up. “Those are members of the Blade of Marmora. They are Galra, but they are our allies. The Blade of Marmora are a resistance group consisting of Galra opposed to Emperor Zarkon. They adhere to the ancient Galra principles of honor and freedom. They are guerilla fighters, and very good ones.”

“Each member of the Blade of Marmora carries a special weapon. A short blade made of Luxite. To join the Blade of Marmora, an acolyte must have Galra blood to activate the blade. It’s a weapon that, once activated, will take the shape of a specific sword or dagger, depending on what the user wants it to be.”

Pidge also smiles. “Yeah. The initiation ritual into the Blade of Marmora is secret. All we know is that it weeds out spies and imposters. Funny thing. Keith is a member of the Blade of Marmora. Apparently he’s a ‘legacy’ because the Blade he has belonged to his mother.”

Commander Holt is stunned. “Wait…Keith is Galra? Are we talking about the same Keith? The one who grew up on Earth? The Garrison cadet? The Black Paladin? _That_ Keith?!”

Matt does a quick tap dance. “Yeah…don’t hold that against him, Dad. He’s part Galra, but he’s nothing like the Galra we’ve been fighting. There are good Galra, and there are bad Galra. Just like there are good humans and bad humans.”

Commander Holt nods appreciatively. “If you say so, then I believe you, Matt. I remember Keith as a cadet. He was quiet, kept to himself, but he was always respectful to me. I remember he was a fantastic pilot, but he had discipline issues. He got into several fights with one student. That’s what led to him being expelled. I’m guessing discipline is no longer an issue?”

Pidge nods in affirmation. “He’s still a bit of a loner, but he’s getting better. He’s beginning to rely on us more and not trying to do everything himself.”

“That’s good to hear. I know he’s an orphan, and I know his father’s death hit him hard. I had one conversation with him at the Garrison. It was on Mothers’ Day, and he kept bringing up his mother. He knew nothing about her. I remember a great sadness in him that day.”

“I think he’s trying to learn more about his mother by learning more about the Galra. The big Galra you saw when you arrived – that’s Meltok. He’s the top Master Chief for the Blade of Marmora, and he’s one of Keith’s elders. Kolivan is the other.”

“Elders, huh? Well Katie, it sounds like he’s in good hands. If it brings that young man peace to learn about his Galra heritage, I’m all for it. That won’t change the person he is. It will just help him understand _who_ he is.”

Meltok’s Quarters, Castle of Lions

Meltok contacts Kolivan and renders his report on the recent activities on the desert planet. A report that includes details of the prisoner exchange and how that broke down; the death of Zarkon; and the status of Prince Lotor.

Kolivan listens carefully to Meltok’s briefing and senses the Master Chief is leaving something out. “I get the impression there is something else you wish to speak to me about.”

“Yes. It’s Keith. Something is afoot here Kolivan and I am at a loss to understand it. Keith and General Acxa continue to cross paths. It happened again on the desert planet.”

“Whatever the reason, Meltok, we must find it and deal with it.”

Meltok pauses to reflect and carefully choose his next words. “Keith is conflicted. When it comes to this young woman, he is a mess. She is interfering with his ability to think clearly. And THAT troubles me. If this continues he’s going to get himself and others killed.”

“Then we must focus him on the important things to help him past this infatuation.”

Hearing the Blade Master’s apparent dismissal of his concern, Meltok pushes back hard. “It’s not infatuation. Keith is in love and he’s too blind and clueless to realize it. We must assume Acxa is destined to play a part in the young man’s future. What part that is, I have no idea.”

The no-nonsense Kolivan remains dismissive. “I refuse to believe that. You are simply reading too much into this!”

Reaching the limits of his patience, a frustrated Meltok calls out Kolivan. “With respect Blade Master, if that is the case you are as blind and clueless as Keith is. I still remember what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. He’s displaying the classic symptoms. Come to the Castle of Lions and see for yourself!”

**FAITH**

> _"In you I put_
> 
> _All my faith and trust._
> 
> _Right before my eyes,_
> 
> _My world has turned to dust 1"_

Paladins Lounge, Castle of Lions

“Hey, Keith! There you are! I’ve been looking all over the Castle for you.”

Keith looks up wearily. He wonders where Hunk seems to get this endless supply of energy, given that he himself is physically and mentally exhausted. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. Sorry Hunk, I’m not good company right now.”

Hunk hands him a glass: “Here, you need this.”

Keith stares at the dark red liquid swishing around inside the glass. “What is this?”

“Mosellian wine. I’ve heard it’s pretty good. And pretty potent.”

“Hunk, you know I don’t drink.” Keith sets the glass down carefully on the table in front of him.

“What, Galra don’t drink? There’s a first time for everything. Drink up!”

Keith stares at the glass for a moment, then points to it. “Uh, do I sip this or chug it?”

Hunk takes a small sip of his before responding. “You definitely sip it. Unless you want a massive hangover in the morning.”

They drink in silence for a few doboshes. As Keith feels a warmth slowly creep over him, he is appreciative of Hunk’s company. Even if they aren’t talking.

And then Hunk asks the question Keith was dreading. “Want to talk about it?”

The reply is immediate.

“No.”

Hunk is patient, and allows a long pause to settle in. His patience is rewarded as the silence finally gets to Keith and he starts talking. His tongue loosened by the wine, Keith blurts out what is on his mind.

“I told her on Braylar IV I would be there when she needed me. I just left her behind. Kolivan and Meltok both told me a Galra’s word, especially when spoken as a promise, is his bond. I made a promise to her, and I broke it.”

Another long pause ensues before Keith continues his thought. “I broke my promise, Hunk. I am…without honor.”

Hunk sets his glass down and turns to Keith, his demeanor deadly serious. “You need to talk to Meltok about that honor stuff. I know nothing about Galra customs so I won’t lecture you about which one you might have broken. I do know this; Acxa is a survivor. How long was she in the Weblum before you found her? How long did she hold off the hyenas before you came to help her? Keith, she’s ok, I’m sure of that. Don’t beat yourself up.”

Keith stares into the glass. “I hope so, Hunk. I don’t think I can live with myself if something bad happens to her.”

Hunk stands to leave. “Yeah, you got it bad. Look. You need to sort a few things out in your mind, but I’ll give you two pieces of advice. One, focus on what you can control. I have a feeling that’s what Acxa wants you to do. Two, go talk to Meltok about this. Keith, you are a lot of things to a lot of people. One thing we all agree on is that you are one of the most honorable people we’ve ever met.”

“Dude, you haven’t broken your promise to Acxa. You just haven’t had the chance to keep it yet. Don’t give up.”

Hunk’s perspective is enough to clear away some of the self-doubt in Keith’s mind.

“Thank you, Hunk!”

Sick Bay, Castle of Lions

Allura watches over Lotor carefully. As he lies recovering from his treatments, under the influence of drugs, she reflects on recent events on the desert planet.

Her thoughts settle on three half-Galra.

Keith. Half Galra, half human. Growing as a leader, committed to the Coalition cause, and proud of both his human and his Galra heritage. Despite knowing so little about his Galra side. He insists that not all Galra are evil and goes to great lengths to remind her of that. Despite their disagreements, he’s always stood by her when she needed him. So perhaps there is a way for them to get past their current conflicts. One can only hope.

Acxa. Half Galra, half Corillian. Strong, highly intelligent, and apparently very principled. Exhibit number one in Keith’s argument about the existence of honorable Galra in the Empire. An obvious bond exists between Acxa and Keith, given how passionately she spoke about him. Meltok refers to it as a warriors bond. She picked up on and hammered Allura about her hatred of all things Galra. Acxa gave her a wake-up call. If Allura is to call all people together for the sake of universal peace, it must be ALL people. That includes the Galra.

Lotor. Half Galra, half Altean. The son of her sworn enemy. The son of the demon who murdered her family. She thinks about the sacrifices he’s made for the betterment of the Galra Empire. If his words are true, he may be the person to lead the old Empire to peace. And so far his actions lead her to believe he may be. Perhaps…she’s been wrong about him all along.

Perhaps Keith is right. Perhaps there are honorable Galra after all. She takes a deep breath, sighs heavily, and mumbles to herself.

“You need to clean up your act, Allura.

Lotor stirs and tries his best to sit up. He doesn’t get very far before an intense pain overtakes him, and Allura stops him.

“Whoa, you’re not going anywhere. Not until you are medically cleared.”

Lotor lies back, says nothing, but gives her an appreciative gaze

Training Room, Castle of Lions

Responding to what sounded like an urgent request, Meltok meets with Keith in the Training Room.

“I need to talk to you about something. I need you to hear me out. Please. Promise not to laugh when I’m done.”

Hearing his words and seeing the look of near panic on his face, Meltok can see the that something is troubling his young nephew. “You have my attention, Keith. What’s on your mind?”

Keith relates what happened during the prisoner exchange negotiations between Acxa and Allura and on the Galra shuttle after the prisoner exchange itself broke down. He fills in the gaps in Meltok’s knowledge of the events he witnessed from the Castle of Lions. After listening to Keith, he has a complete picture of what transpired on the desert planet.

What Meltok didn’t expect to hear from Keith is what happened after they picked up Lotor. Keith relates his attempt to pick up the Generals. How he was willing to fly into the teeth of an oncoming Galra battle group to do it. Until he received Acxa’s admonition to leave.

“She told me to get out of there. Called me a fool for trying to get her. She said…I should just leave her.”

Keith goes on to tell Meltok about Hunk’s parting words. That he in fact hasn’t broken his promise to Acxa. Pausing, Keith waits anxiously for Meltok’s response. It’s not long in coming.

“Keith, Hunk is right. You have done nothing dishonorable.”

Now that he has that out of the way, Meltok decides it’s time to administer some tough love to his nephew. He crosses his arms and unleashes a scathing rebuke.

“I understand what you tried to do, and I have a good idea what Acxa’s mindset was at the time. What you both did shows me the respect the two of you have for each other. But Keith I must tell you, you’re an idiot.”

“Wait, what? Hold on…”

Meltok holds up his hand and shoots him a stern look. “It is disrespectful to interrupt an elder when he is speaking!”

“To be honest, when you tried to extract her from the desert planet, Acxa was the one thinking clearly. You were not and she knew that by observing your actions. Who in their right mind takes on an entire Galra battle group in an unarmed shuttle?”

“She did the honorable thing by telling you to leave. She called you a fool because she needed to get your attention and she knew that would do it. Don’t read any other meaning into her words. She was trying to protect you. She saved your life and the lives of everyone on that shuttle, at great personal cost to herself.”

“You did the honorable thing by heeding her request. Now you need to honor Acxa’s sacrifice and focus on three things.”

He takes a step forward to emphasize his point. “First, your role as the Black Paladin. Your team needs you, and the Coalition needs you. They look to you for decisive leadership and guidance. Give it to them.”

“Next, learn what it means to be an officer in the Blade of Marmora. The skills and disciplines you learn will make you a far better Black Paladin than you would otherwise be. And young man, you still need to learn some discipline.”

“Finally, continue to learn about your Galra heritage. Acxa is correct…you are special. She sees it because, being half-Galra herself, she understands your Galra side. You don’t see it because you don’t understand your Galra side. To be the leader you _need_ to be…to be the best person you _can_ be…you need to understand yourself. Completely.”

“Keith, that is what you can control. That is what Acxa wants you to do. When the time is right, she will reappear in your life.” Meltok pauses and allows Keith to ask the obvious question.

“How can you be so sure, Master Chief?”

“Things happen for a reason, and I believe we are all guided by the Supreme Spirit. She has bound you and Acxa into a warrior’s bond for a reason. When the time is right, the Supreme Spirit will let you know what that reason is. So, until Acxa reappears, focus on what you can control.”

Meltok steps close to Keith and goes nose-to-nose with him. “And in the name of the Supreme Spirit stop moping around! You are the leader of Voltron! You are the Black Paladin!”

“Start acting like it!”

Brig, Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Three very large Druids fill the doorway to their cell. “General Zethrid, you will come with us.”

Zethrid stands, fists clenched, a hostile tone in her voice. “Give me one good reason why I should.”

The lead Druid takes one step towards her. “If you don’t we will execute your friends. Their blood will be on your hands.”

Zethrid is momentarily stunned. They just used the only argument that would force her to back down. Threaten the people she cares about.

Refusing to break eye contact with the Druid, she makes an easy decision.

“Fine. I’ll go with you.”

The Druid steps aside and Zethrid strides towards the door to the cell. On the way out she turns to Ezor. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back.” She winks and vanishes out the door, followed by the Druids. Upon exiting the cell, the door slams shut behind her.

Three vargas pass. After pondering what fate awaits them when their turn for interrogation comes, Ezor asks Acxa about some thoughts that are troubling her.

“Acxa, during the prisoner exchange negotiations with the Princess, you were very angry at the end. What was that all about?”

Acxa stares out the small porthole set high in their cell door. _“Princess Allura hates anyone with Galra blood. I put her in her place.”_

“I see…and the Black Paladin never entered that conversation?”

Acxa turns away from the door, annoyance clearly visible in her expression. _“Really, Ezor? We don’t have time for this. We have bigger issues to deal with. They’re doing who knows what to Zethrid right now.”_

Ezor is undeterred. “Ok Miss Smarmy. On the shuttle…you didn’t want to fight him, did you?”

Her hands on her hips, Acxa stares hard at Ezor, her annoyance with her growing by the tick. _“Him who?”_

“The Black Paladin. The flippity-hair boy.”

Acxa is clearly exasperated with the line of questioning. _“First he’s a man not a boy. Second I was flying the bloody shuttle! I didn’t have time to fight anyone!”_

“Uh huh…ok. Sure. But you did wind up fighting the tiny Paladin.”

_“Because she came at me! And if you recall Miss Look-at-me-I’m-a-Detective-Now, the shuttle almost crashed because of that fight!”_

“Oh.”

Ezor leans against the cell wall, crosses her arms, and quietly reflects for several doboshes before resuming the questioning.

“Ok. When the shuttle was coming back for us after we were dumped on our backsides in the desert. You sent a message, didn’t you? Because that shuttle turned around after you sent it.”

Flushed with anger, Acxa’s arms are pinned to her side, fists clenched tightly. _“Ezor, in the name of the Supreme Spirit…the shuttle turned around because the cruisers were shooting at it. Whoever was piloting it had to turn around or they would have been destroyed!”_

“Right…you didn’t answer my question.”

Before Ezor can say anything else, Zethrid is returned.

“Zethrid, are you ok? Did they torture you?”

Dazed from the experience, Zethrid gives them a blank stare. “Yes, and no. It was strange. They asked a bunch of questions, and then sent me back here. I don’t get it.”

Acxa is convinced something is up _. “They’re playing with our minds. I’m convinced now more than ever that we’re not getting out of here alive.”_

The door to the cell clangs open and two Druids appear. “General Ezor. You’re next.”

Ezor stares wide-eyed at Acxa and Zethrid as she is led away.

**DREAMS**

> "Through the hollow of my tears,
> 
> I see a dream that’s lost
> 
> From the hurt that you have caused
> 
> Everywhere I turn,
> 
> Seems like everything I see
> 
> Reflects the love that used to be 1"

Naxzela

Still stinging from Meltok’s tongue lashing the quintant before, Keith and the Master Chief meet up outside the Castle and walk through the ruined landscape of Naxzela.

“Master Chief, you referenced the Supreme Spirt when we talked last. I’ve heard you and Kolivan…and a lot of other Galra speak about…him? Her? Can you tell me about…it?”

Meltok shakes his head as he holds it with his left hand, but while doing so he can’t help but laugh. “Keith, the word clueless doesn’t _begin_ to describe you sometimes…”

Keith returns his smile. “Remember, you’re the one who told me to ask questions.”

“Yes, I did. Ok. The Supreme Spirit is the all-powerful deity that rules over the entire universe. _She_ is all seeing and all knowing. She is also a harsh mistress. One prays to her for guidance or deliverance. She may respond, she may not. But she will always provide her followers with the means to be successful. It is up to us individually to find the path she lays out for us.”

“So, all seeing, all knowing, but it doesn’t sound like she really cares about her people. Not much of a God.”

“Goddess. She does care about her people, but she also tells us it is up to each of us to find the path she sets for us. Self-determination and free will are her mandates. If we listen to the signs she gives us and follow her lead, we will find the path we are to follow, and in the end find our destiny.”

“She laid down the moral and ethical laws of the Galra Empire, through a series of basic commandments and tenants. Twelve in all. They are called the Universal Rights of the People.”

“Universal Rights of the People. That’s an interesting name for the religion of a dictatorship.”

“Keith, you must understand. Under Zarkon, religion is suppressed. The Emperor rules supreme over the universe, and that means he rules supreme over the people, over the government, over religion. As a result, a moral and ethical rot has set in on the Empire.”

“You talked about…shady characters I think you called them earlier. Before Zarkon became the megalomaniac he is, before he suppressed religion, a Galra’s word meant something. Honor truly meant something. Now it is twisted, corrupted, and used to further the ends of a group of power-hungry people who have no interests other than their own.”

Keith’s curiosity is greatly aroused. Religion is not something he usually finds interesting, but the way Meltok describes the Galra religion is fascinating to him. “So, what are the teachings of the Supreme Spirit.”

“That my young friend would take movements for me to explain. Someday, you should learn them in detail. For now, I’ll keep it simple. She teaches us that we are all endowed with universal rights. She admonishes us to treat others as we wish to be treated; to be honest and honorable; to keep our word and especially our promises; to never kill needlessly; to help the sick and the weak; to honor and cherish our families, especially our life partners and our children; to teach our children what it means to be good citizens; to honor and respect nature and all living things that surround us.”

“That is…quite a list, Master Chief.”

“It’s an incomplete list. But, those are the important ones. That my young ne…my young friend is what we are fighting for.” Meltok again mentally curses himself for the near slip.

His mistake is not noticed by Keith. “I had no idea that Galra society had that kind of moral and ethical code. I’ve only heard that the Galra are a race of murderers and cutthroats.”

“Which is why General Narti was spot on when she told you to learn about the Galra from other Galra. The best place to learn about a culture is to go to the culture.”

Meltok looks up to the stars and grows wistful. “Someday Keith, you will live in a universe in which the Galra live in peace with their neighbors and live by the teachings of the Supreme Spirit. Someday…my own family may pull back together. I hope I live long enough to see it.”

The revelation hits Keith like a bombshell. “Your family…I didn’t…you never…”

“I don’t talk about them. I won’t…not until this damn war is over. For their sake.”

Keith looks Meltok in the eye and gives him a warm smile. “Master Chief, If I have anything to say about it, we’ll both see the Empire at peace, and we’ll both get our families back together. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But we will.”

“I promise you.”

1 Reflections. **Artist:** Diana Ross & The Supremes **Writers:** Lamont Dozier, Holland B, Holland **Licensee:** UMG (on behalf of Motown); EMI Music Publishing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Keith is in love, Ezor has Acxa's feelings for Keith pegged, and these two clueless and lovable dorks have no idea how the other feels about them. Meltok just dropped a big reveal of his own, and Keith and Allura are still at each other's throats. 
> 
> This story continues in the next chapter.


	6. Postmortem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Allura once again find themselves at loggerheads, this time over Lotor’s pitch to the Paladins for support in the upcoming Kral Zera. Political intrigue sweeps the Empire as powerful players position themselves to become the next Emperor. High Priestess Haggar recruits unexpected allies to help her pull off some intrigue of her own. The Coalition capital on Olkarion comes under attack by a weapon conceived by the Olkari themselves. Knowing the tension between herself and Keith cannot continue without destroying Voltron, Allura decides on a path she hopes will lead to peace between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the canon flow but it is definitely canon divergent.

**Double-Crossing the Double-Crosser**

Sick Bay, Castle of Lions

Returning from the surface of Naxzela, Keith stops by the Sick Bay to look in on Lotor and Allura. Seeing that Allura could use a break, he sends her out and takes a seat next to the Prince.

The two stare uneasily at each other for what seems like vargas but it is really less than five doboshes. Lotor is finally the one who breaks the silence.

“Clearly there is something you wish to say to me.”

Keith doesn’t break his stare. “When I first contacted your mole and made the arrangements to have your shackles loosened after the prisoner exchange, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After I saw how things went down…why didn’t you tell me your contact was Acxa?”

“Because I didn’t think it was important at the time. Knowing what I’ve pieced together now, I most certainly would not have told you. It would have ruined what we set up and probably gotten both of you killed.”

Keith doesn’t respond, but instead intensifies his stare at Lotor.

“My real reason for not identifying her was to protect her.”

“That’s rich coming from you. Protect her from what?”

“More like who. I’m protecting her from Haggar. The witch is spying on us somehow. Don’t ask me how, but I do intend to find out.”

Keith sits back and shifts his gaze to the floor, contemplating what Lotor is telling him. “How can you be sure?”

“I’m sure.”

\---------------

Flashback: Maximum-Security Brig, Castle of Lions

Keith visits the maximum-security brig in the Castle of Lions to inform Lotor of the decision to trade him for Commander Holt.

“So, the decision is final?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“You do realize he will never turn over Commander Holt. He’ll double-cross you and make a play for the Lions.”

“As you’ve told me before Lotor, a Galra toddler can see this coming. Any ideas on how we can double-cross the double-crosser?”

Lotor stares curiously at Keith. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“I have no intention of turning you over to Zarkon, for all the reasons you just mentioned. That, and I believe we have a better chance at peace with you on the throne. So, I’ll ask you again. Do you have any ideas on how to double-cross the double-crosser?

Lotor studies Keith carefully for a full dobosh. “You’re serious.”

“Yes. Dead serious.”

“Very well. I have a contact who just happened to have landed in Zarkon’s camp. Contact them. I’ll tell you how. Tell them to ‘check the Prince’s bindings. He doesn’t like them to be too tight.’ They’ll understand the meaning. But once I’m loose, I’ll need a weapon.”

Keith reaches down to his waist and pulls out the Black Bayard.

“Ever use one of these?”

Lotor smiles. “No, but I’m a fast learner.”

**Premonition**

Olkarion

Olkari engineers work feverishly to rebuild their capital city. A city laid waste by the Galra occupation. Forest dwellers under the Galra occupation, the Olkari have decided it’s time to come out of the woods and reoccupy their ancestral capital city.

Under the watchful eye of Ryner, leader of the Olkari, they build the main defense weapon for the city. A titanic Ion beam generator. Standing with Ryner are Commander Sam Holt and his children, Rebel leader Matt Holt, and Green Paladin Katie Holt.

“Part of me misses my people’s exile in the forest. But since Olkarion became the hub for refugees in this quadrant, it made sense that we should return to the city and transform it into the Coalition’s capital.”

Commander Holt steps up to the glass windows of the control center and gazes in amazement at the sight unfolding before him.

“So much has changed so fast.” It’s been two quintants since Zarkon’s death, and two decaphoebs since Commander Holt and his son were taken by the Galra during the Kerberos mission.

“For the better!”

“Yeah, well, Zarkon may be dead Pidge, but the war’s not over yet.”

Ryner continues to watch her engineers assemble the city’s main defense weapon. “That is why the Olkari are grateful Voltron is here, until our defense systems are fully operational. I fear tumultuous times are upon us.”

\---------------

General Branko’s Flagship

A message is received from Galra Central Command. Seeing the message contents, Commander Letch, Executive Officer of the ship, rushes it to General Branko.

“Galra Central Command has confirmed the reports, General. Emperor Zarkon…is dead.”

Branko stands before his forward monitor, hands folded behind his back, staring out into the void of space. “And is the intel true that Voltron is on Olkarion?”

“Multiple intelligence reports say so, sir.”

Branko grins. This is what he was hoping to hear. “Set a course for Olkarion.”

**The Heir Apparent**

Castle of Lions, Olkarion

Recently released from his confinement in the Castle’s Sick Bay, Lotor sits on the steps of the Bridge leading to Allura’s command station. The Prince, still in some pain, silently contemplates all that has happened in the past two quintants and ponders what is to come.

Allura stands next to the Prince, as the pair await the arrival of the Paladins.

“They should be hear any minute.”

Hands clasped in front of him, head down, Lotor acknowledges Allura’s comment. “Good. There is much to discuss.”

Seeing Lotor wincing in pain, Allura’s gaze turns from a harsh stare to one of concern for the Prince. “Are you all right?”

Lotor stares straight ahead, grits his teeth, and softly groans out his answer. “I’ll be fine.”

Lotor’s sacrifice two quintants ago on the desert planet gives credence to his claims that he was working to better the lot for the Galra people and change the Empire to a more peaceful stance. Feeling she may have judged him too harshly, Allura’s attitude towards the Prince softens.

“What you did was for the greater good.” She pauses and gives him a shy smile. “And for many of us, proof of your intentions for peace.”

Lotor remains silent but gives her a quick glance. Hearing the door to the Bridge open, he shifts his gaze as Allura turns to face it.

The open door reveals six very surprised members of the crew.

Lance visibly recoils at the sight of Lotor. “Look, it’s Prince Lotor, just hanging out on the Bridge.”

Pidge stares at Lotor, wide-eyed with surprise. “Guess this is a thing that’s happening.”

Coran has a slightly different take on it. “I suppose we’ll all have to get used to it…like my Zarbloovian intestinal eel.” As his eel acts up, Coran tries to calm it down “Easy, fella.”

Keith steps forward from the group and approaches the Prince, who is now standing. “What’s going on, Lotor?”

“The death of my father has created a power vacuum within the Galra Empire. The most formidable Galra leaders will gather for what is called the Kral Zera sometime in the next two quintants to decide who will take the throne. We MUST be there.”

Lance is perplexed. “So, you want _us_ to fly _you_ into the middle of a meeting with all of the most powerful Galra leaders?”

A skeptical Allura turns to the Prince. “Lotor, we appreciate all that you’ve sacrificed, but this sound far too dangerous.”

Keith respectfully disagrees. “We’ve been in more dangerous situations with much less to gain. Putting Lotor on the Galra throne is what we’ve been discussing.”

Pidge calls a time out. “Yeah, but no one told us that would mean flying into a war zone.”

Keith and Allura square off for an argument that shocks the others.

“Keith, we can’t plan an operation this important so quickly.”

“We don’t have a choice.”

Lance makes the mistake of inserting himself into the conversation. A mistake he will soon regret. “I’m with Allura. We need time to think this over.”

Keith looks directly into Lance’s eyes and speaks firmly. “Lance, this is not your call.”

Shocked by the public dressing down, a humbled Lance withdraws from the conversation.

“Allura, the Coalition wouldn’t be where it is right now without Lotor.” He turns from Allura to look at the Prince. “We need to listen to him.”

Pidge, recovering after seeing what just happened to Lance, now speaks up. Unlike Lance, she is not intimidated by Keith. “Well, I’m with Allura too. This is too dangerous to pull off at the last minute.”

Now it’s Coran’s turn. “Agreed. So, it looks like it’s four-to-two, in the Princess’ favor.”

Keith begins to lose his patience. “Look, this isn’t a vote. I’m the leader of Voltron. I’m making this decision.”

Now Allura loses her patience. She takes one step towards Keith and stares defiantly at him. “Like when you armed Lotor with your Bayard without consulting the rest of us?”

“That’s right. Making that decision resulted in the removal of Zarkon.”

“You put the entire operation in jeopardy!”

“I put an end to Zarkon’s reign. Now is the time to finish the job!”

Seeing the hostility between Keith and Allura, Lance steps in to play peacemaker. Mistake number two on Lance’s part. “Keith, we’re all on the same side here.”

Keith wheels to face Lance and goes nose to nose with him. “I told you to stay out of this!”

Lotor has seen enough. “While you all waste time squabbling, sinister forces are conspiring to fill the Galra power void. If I do not return to claim the throne, there is no telling who will.”

\---------------

Haggar’s Sanctuary, Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Haggar, still in mourning over the death of Zarkon, stands in the center of her sanctuary. She listens attentively to the conversation taking place on the Bridge of the Castle of Lions through her hidden audio link.

The hidden audio link dates to the time when Commander Sendak captured the Castle of Lions and held it for a short period of time. Knowing there was a possibility the Paladins would win the Castle back, he set two traps. The first was the insertion of a computer subroutine that corrupted the Castle’s Balmeran Crystal.

The other was the planting of two audio listening devices in the Castle. One on the Bridge, the other in the Hangar Bay. The audio devices were never found by the Paladins. And until the aftermath of the Battle of Naxzela they were unknown to Haggar. She stumbled upon the broadcast frequency of the devices as Bretavia-Q-Five was leaving the Naxzela battlefield.

With Lotor’s defection, she now uses it to spy on his activities. Listening closely, the voices of Keith and Pidge reverberate through her sanctuary.

_“Good then it’s settled.”_

_“How is that settled, Keith?”_

_“Our hands are tied, Pidge. The Kral Zera is happening. If we want to stop the Galra, we need to put Lotor on the throne immediately.”_

Hearing Lotor’s name she reaches her hand toward the source of the audio.

“My son.”

Focused on the conversation, she does not immediately detect the presence of the three assassins that sneak into her chamber. At the last possible moment, she sees a shadowy movement.

The hooded assassin takes a powerful swing with his Galra sword at the witch. Startled, Haggar backs up quickly and assumes a defensive posture as two more assassins take positions behind her. Aware of their presence, she freezes, forcing her attackers to make the next move.

Wordlessly, the three assassins move in and attack Haggar, only to find that she has vanished right before their eyes.

As motes of quintessence rise from where the witch was standing, a deep, low, and slow laughter begins to echo through the chamber. Looking around frantically, the assassins are unable to locate its source.

The laughter increases in frequency, volume, and speed. The lead assassin looks up in time to see the witch descending and attacking them from the ceiling.

Outside Haggar’s Sanctuary

Commander Sniv waits impatiently outside the door to Haggar’s sanctuary for word from his assassins. When the door finally does open, he smiles with anticipation.

“Is it done? With that witch out of the way, I’ll be one step closer to taking power.”

The assassin behind Sniv draws his sword and speaks. But the voice is not that of the assassin.

“Wrong, Commander Sniv.”

It is the voice of Haggar.

Using the assassin as an avatar, Haggar easily disposes of the mutinous commander.

\---------------

Brig, Battleship Bretavia-Q-Five

Ezor sits on the floor of the cell she shares with her fellow Generals, knees pulled up to her chest, and sighs heavily, contemplating their situation. Since their interrogation, they’ve been left on their own for vargas.

“What are they planning to do to us? We tried to help Emperor Zarkon, it wasn’t our fault he got killed.”

Lying on her back, feet up on the wall of the prison, Acxa is resigned to her fate. _“It doesn’t matter. We won’t live to see the new regime. Whoever comes through that door next will likely be our undertaker.”_

Standing and leaning against the wall of the cell, Zethrid is in no mood for defeatist talk. She’s not prepared to go down without a fight. “Whoever comes through that door next is gonna get a face full of fists!”

The door to the cell clangs loudly as it is opened. Acxa and Ezor scramble to their feet and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Zethrid. Taking their cue from their burly teammate, the Generals prepare for their final fight.

The door swings open fully, revealing the identity of their visitor.

Haggar.

Shocked to see the High Priestess, they all drop their aggressive demeanors.

Ezor is the first to shake off her surprise. “Are you here to kill us?”

“No. I’m here to recruit you.”

**Attack on Olkarion**

General Branko’s Flagship, Near Olkarion

General Branko stands at his control panel and studies the situation on his main monitor as his ship enters the Olkari system.

“Prepare the payload.” Branko sports an evil smile, as he is about to unleash a horror on the Olkari that is of their own making. “The Olkari scientists were good for something after all.”

Commander Letch initiates a launch sequence. From the cannon mounted on top of the cruiser, a projectile is launched toward Olkarion.

“By the time this day is over, Galra High Command will realize I am the only one worthy of the throne.”

\---------------

Olkari Capital City

The streets of the Olkari capital are bustling with activity. Activity that is interrupted by a loud sonic boom in the skies above the city. Looking up, the citizens see what appears to be a large meteor streak across the sky.

As the projectile nears its target in the forest just outside the city, the outer casing is jettisoned. Accelerating towards the ground, the projectile slams into the forest on the far side of the low hills ringing the southern end of the city.

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

An emergency call from the Olkari capital lights up the main screen on the Castle of Lions.

“Ryner hailing the Castle of Lions.”

The Bridge is manned by Coran and Keith. They too were tracking the incoming object that just crashed onto Olkarion. With Keith standing behind him, Coran responds to her hail. “Ryner, what was that?”

“A meteor-like object struck the forest outside the city. We’re detecting high levels of an unknown toxin emanating from the impact site.”

Keith moves to the zipline leading from the Bridge to his Lion. “I’ll check it out. Coran, warn the rest of the team to stand by just in case.”

\---------------

Olkarion, The Forest South of the City

Branko’s projectile sits amid smashed and broken vegetation. A potent toxin, emanating from the object, affects the surrounding vegetation. Drawn to the projectile, six large vine-like tree plants, native to Olkarion, converge on it. As they contact the object, a large flash and swirl of organic material surrounds the object.

\---------------

Haggar’s Lair, Battleship Whatever

Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid follow Haggar into her lair. Released from their cell, the three have no idea what the High Priestess has in store for them.

“Until a new leader steps in, the Galra Empire weakens by the moment.”

_“Are you planning to seize power?”_

“No. The Empire will only accept a ruler with Galra blood. It needs a natural-born leader, with an iron will to match his iron fist. Bring him to me, and I will pardon your past misdeeds.”

The Generals are faced with a hard choice. Accede to the High Priestesses demand and locate the person she is looking for or decline and face execution.

Acxa sighs heavily. Once again she is faced with a decision that has already been made for her. She looks to her companions. They meet her gaze but say nothing.

She turns back to Haggar.

_“We shall return with the person you seek High Priestess.”_

**The Altean Broadsword**

Training Room, Castle of Lions

Waiting for word from Keith, Lance decides to warm up and take some target practice. Standing in the center of the Training room, multiple target drones armed with lasers circle around him. His goal is to shoot the drones before they shoot him. He takes careful aim and shoots his first target. His aim is true, but he quickly realizes he must either shoot faster or be hit by blasts from the drones. There are simply too many of them to take out with his sniper technique.

He ducks and rolls away from incoming drone fire. He continues to fire with the short semi-automatic rapid-fire weapon formed by his Bayard, but it is a weapon he is not comfortable using. Realizing that weapon isn’t working for him, he changes up and forms a sniper rifle with the Bayard. He is much more comfortable with this weapon, but it has one drawback. It is a single-shot weapon and because of its length he is forced to spend valuable ticks steadying and aiming it. Which is difficult enough when his target isn’t moving.

He takes down one drone and comes under fire from four others. The drones increase speed and their rate of fire as they circle around him. Unable to swing his long rifle around quickly enough to shoot, he is struck by several drone blasts. Frustrated, he holds his rifle in his right hand and forms his shield with his left. The shield protects him from the blasts, but the rifle is now useless. It requires both hands to shoot effectively, and only one is available.

Grunting in frustration, he is surprised when his Bayard glows. His rifle vanishes and in its place is a broadsword. Acting on instinct and without thinking, he swings the sword in a compact yet powerful swing that takes down three drones. Seeing this, he takes three more strokes and succeeds in destroying the remaining drones.

With the drones destroyed, he has time to think about what just happened. He stands and gazes at the sword. Both hands are waist-high and on the handle of the sword, and the tip of the blade is pointed straight up. He is greatly puzzled because this is a weapon he did not consciously form.

“Whoa!”

Observing the scene with interest is Allura. Coming to the Training Room to bring Lance to the Bridge, she is just as surprised as he is with the turn of events.

“I haven’t seen that for 10,000 decaphoebs.” The weapon Lance is holding is one that Allura’s father, the original Red Paladin, used regularly.

Lance is very surprised to see her. “Allura?”

“It’s an Altean Broadsword. My father used one just like it.”

Lance holds the weapon out from him, as if he’s afraid it has a life of its own. “I have no idea how I did this.”

“I think your Bayard has shown you what we’ve all been noticing. You have greatness within.”

Lance looks down at the floor and grunts. “Huh. I don’t think Keith has noticed.”

Allura also looks downcast towards the floor. “Keith has been quite difficult lately. I’m not sure what to do, we seem to constantly be at odds.”

“You guys are under a lot of pressure. Having Lotor around doesn’t help.”

“Sometimes it feels like it was easier to fight the Galra rather than to try to work with them.”

“Allura, you are already working with the Galra. You have been for some time now. Keith is…well…Keith is Galra. Before we all found out, you and he worked so well together. After we found out…not so much. I know you hate the Galra for what they did to Altea. I get it. But Keith had nothing to do with that. You and he both have the Coalition’s best interests at heart. Just because Keith found out he’s Galra, that’s not going to change.”

“Don’t forget that. Keith isn’t your enemy.”

Allura looks at Lance, and a realization hits her. One that she knows she should have seen all along. “You’re right. I need to stay focused on the big picture.”

“Thank you, Lance. Speaking with you has actually made me feel better.”

Lance cocks his head over his right shoulder and gives Allura a look. “What do you mean…’actually’?”

After sharing a laugh over Lance’s pun, Allura decides to impart some words of wisdom of her own.

She turns him around and, standing behind him puts one hand on his left shoulder and the other on the two hands holding the sword. “Oh, and Lance, if you’re going to try to control a sword this powerful…”

Taking her left foot, she kicks his left foot hard, causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards. As he tumbles onto his back, she relieves him of the sword. Twirling it, she smirks down at him.

“…you’re going to need to work on your stance.”

Recalling the Bayard into its regular shape, she helps him up off the floor and hands it back to him.

“Let’s get to the Bridge, in case Keith needs us.”

\---------------

Green Lion Launch Bay, Castle of Lions

Pidge, Matt, and their father stand next to the Green Lion as Pidge describes some recent technology additions she made to it.

“I developed a cloaking device by reverse engineering the technology from the invisible maze in the Castle and integrating it with the Lion’s shield system.”

Commander Holt stands in awe of the Lion and all his daughter has accomplished. “It’s just amazing. All this technology…it used to exist only in my dreams.” He turns to face his children. “I can’t wait to tell your mother all about this. Wait til she sees the two of you. So grown up.”

Pidge and Matt stare awkwardly at each other for a moment. They know what their father is asking of them, but neither is prepared to give him the answer he wants.

“Well, the thing is, between the rebels and Voltron, Matt and I have a lot of work to do before we can go back home.”

“Pidge is right. We need to stay, until the Galra are defeated and we can rest assured that Earth will always be safe.”

“What?” Commander Holt can’t believe what he is hearing.

Pidge looks sadly at her father. “We can’t go home with you, Dad.”

**Bio-Hacked Nature**

Olkarion

Something monstrous is moving in the forests of Olkarion. A purple haze moves with it as the object makes its way towards the Olkari capital city.

Flying overhead in the Black Lion, Keith studies his instruments and strains to detect the source of the haze hanging over the forest.

Finally, his instruments begin to provide useful information. “I’m detecting movement up ahead. Coran, I’m going in for a closer look.”

Moving closer to the source, Keith’s spies something that nearly causes his eyes to pop out of his head.

“Coran, we might have a big problem here.”

“How big?”

Standing before Keith is a monstrosity the likes of which he’s never seen before. Part plant, part machine, the creature…the tree-creature…towers over the tallest trees of the forest.

To make matters worse, it is armed with what appears to be a large photon cannon, one that is charging up to take a shot at him.

The Black Lion dodges the incoming ball of photon energy as Keith continues to move it in for a closer look.

Now dodging multiple photon energy blasts, he decides it’s time to call in reinforcements.

“Coran! Send out the team!”

Keith does his best to keep the tree-creature occupied until the Paladins can reach him.

\---------------

General Branko’s Flagship

Commander Letch scans his instruments and provides General Branko a status report on their attack on Olkarion.

“The virus has reached the Olkari city. The Voltron Lions have been mobilized. Shall we move in?”

General Branko is relishing the moment and has no desire to end it so quickly. “Slowly. So we can behold the dawn of a new age of warfare.”

The Galra warship closes on Olkarion at half-speed.

\---------------

Olkarion

The virus has indeed reached the Olkari city. Along with creating the tree-creature that Keith is currently fighting, the virus has bio-hacked nature. Vines coil rapidly through the streets of the city, destroying buildings and crushing anything in their paths.

To include the Olkari themselves.

Overtaking the city, the vines reach the Castle of Lions. Coran deploys the Castle’s particle barrier to keep the vines at bay. Meltok, Commander Holt, and Matt race to Coran’s control station on the Bridge.

“Coran, what’s happening out there?”

“The forest appears to have come alive and is attacking the city.”

“Where are the Lions?”

Coran continues to study the images of the city under siege by the forest. “No worries Commander Holt. I’ve already sent them to assist Keith. He’s battling something in the forest.”

\---------------

Keith continues to dodge energy blasts from the tree-creature in the forest. Gaining altitude and circling around it, he moves Black in for an attack. Making his run, he fires the laser cannon and scores a direct hit on the tree-creature.

Taking advantage of the lull created by his laser strike, Keith circles Black around again and launches multiple photon strikes at the tree-creature. All shots impact it, but none of them cause any damage. Keeping up the laser fire, he is relieved to see the other four Lions joining the fight.

Firing their lasers simultaneously at the tree-creature, they force it to protect itself and cover up.

Pidge takes a clear image of the tree-creature and sends it back to Ryner’s control room in the city. “Ryner, what are we looking at here?”

Ryner is puzzled by what she sees. “I don’t understand. That monster resembles one of our tree-mechs. It’s as if the forest is being corrupted.”

“It must have something to do with whatever is emanating from that impact site!”

Pidge runs some additional analysis. “It looks like some sort of invasive plasma. Coran, have my dad and brother analyze the data I’m sending.”

“On it.”

Recovered from the Lion’s attack, the tree-creature resumes its photon attacks on the Lions. They scatter in five different directions, forcing the tree-creature to pause it’s attack momentarily.

To Keith, it’s time to call in his own heavy weapon. “Hurry up, team. Let’s form Voltron.!”

\---------------

Voltron streaks towards the tree-creature as it resumes its photon barrage.

“Shield up!”

With the shield raised, Keith moves Voltron directly at the tree-creature. Just before Voltron runs into it, the tree-creature launches a photon shot. The force of the impact rocks the tree-creature and drives Voltron back two hundred yards.

Landing Voltron on its feet in the forest, Keith tries to move the giant robot.

“Let’s finish him!”

Unfortunately, they can’t. They’ve landed in the middle of a patch of corrupted forest vegetation and vines. The vines immediately attack Voltron.

Hunk strains against the controls of the Yellow Lion, in vain. “I can’t move my leg. I mean, my Voltron leg.”

Allura encounters the same issue. “Neither can I! These vines are restricting our movements!”

“Pidge, can you get free?”

“Negative, Keith. They’re everywhere!”

“Red’s stuck too!”

The vines wrap themselves around Voltron, completely covering first the legs, then the arms and torso. Allura sees only one way out.

“Separate into Lions!”

As the vines cover the head of Voltron, Keith realizes they are stuck. “We can’t! We’re seized up! Trapped!”

The vines continue to cling to Voltron, until a giant ball of vegetation is formed around it. As the Paladins take stock of their situation, Hunk detects movement.

“Wait. What’s that sound?”

“It sounds like it’s heading the other way. Towards the city.”

Keith is correct. As the vines lift the ball covering Voltron off the forest floor, the tree-creature continues its advance on the Olkari city.

“And I think I know why.”

Keith opens a channel to the Olkari control center. “Ryner, is that Ion cannon of yours operational yet?”

In the control center, Ryner feverishly works the controls at her station. “No, it’s still not finished. At best it could manage perhaps one shot.

“Make it count, because that thing’s headed right for you.”

\---------------

The main Ion weapon in the Olkari city powers up for the first time. In the control center, Ryner activates the target acquisition system.

“Targeting.” Locating the creature, she attempts to get a weapons lock on it while monitoring the weapons charge. “Cannon charge at 30 percent.” In the weapon, a growing ball of energy begins to crackle. “Power at 70 percent.”

The target lock beeps as Ryner prepares to fire a shot at the creature. “Target acquired!”

The ball of energy glows brightly. “Power at 95 percent, prepare to fire!”

Without warning, disaster hits. “No! We’re losing power! What’s happening?”

Vines breach the walls of the control center and begin to surround Ryner.

“The Ion cannon! All of our systems, they’ve been compromised.”

Ryner looks out hopelessly on her city as the rogue vines consume it.

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

Coran and Meltok study the analysis of the vines performed by Commander Holt and his son. Desperate, Pidge calls out to them.

“Matt! Dad! These vines…”

Hearing the desperation in her voice, Matt relays what he’s found to his sister. “They’re like a computer virus. From the data you sent, it appears the plasma substance is self-replicating organic wetware. Which creates a single expanding system, giving it the ability to interface with nature the way the Olkari do.”

Pidge picks up on his main point. “It’s like a computer and a virus rolled into one.”

Before Pidge can complete her thought, the connection to Voltron is lost. “Quiznak! Now Voltron is offline.

“I think I know what Pidge was going to say, Coran. If the plasma mass has the properties of a computer, there must be some way to hack into it and shut it down.” Commander Holt turns to the best computer hacker he knows…his son.

“Conceivably, Dad. If we could just figure out how to interface with it.”

Commander Holt gives Matt a look he’s seen hundreds of times before. The look that says, ‘the old man has an idea.’

\---------------

Voltron

Wedged tightly into the vegetation pod, Keith grits his teeth as he clears his head to think through their course of action.

“What are we going to do? I can’t move!”

Pidge, hearing the panic in Hunk’s voice, decides to do something. “Listen! This virus is affecting Voltron on a sub-molecular level. To drive it out, we have to tap into the quantum energy that bonds us all to Voltron.”

Allura identifies the solution. “The Bayards! They amplify each Paladin’s life force! They might provide enough power to drive out the virus!”

“It’s worth a shot.”

Before Keith can issue an order, Voltron is rocked by a massive jolt. General Branko’s flagship has arrived at Olkarion, and it is using its tractor beam to pull the vegetative pod imprisoning Voltron into the ship.

Looking out from the Bridge of the Castle of Lions, Meltok and Coran finally know who is responsible for the threat they are facing.

“It’s the Galra! This is all their doing!”

**Hacking the Hacker**

Olkarion

Matt and his father make their way to the vine-infested command center in the Olkari city. They rush up to Ryner, who is furiously working at her control station. Called by Matt before his arrival to lay out his plan, she prepares the necessary equipment for them.

“I’m trying to interface with the vines to stop their growth, but I can’t communicate with the nano-cellulose.

“We don’t’ need to stop it. We just need to reroute it.”

Ryner stares firmly at Matt. “Grab a headpiece and show me.”

Matt and Commander Holt don the headpieces Ryner prepared for them. “All right. Follow my lead.”

Matt places a hand on one of the corrupted vines. Commander Holt follows suit, as does Ryner.

As the three concentrate on rerouting the energy corrupting the vines, the power begins to return to the control center. Power also begins to be restored to the main Ion Weapon.

\---------------

Voltron

Keith orders the Paladins to put their Bayards at the ready. “Lance, give us a countdown!”

Pulling his Bayard back, Lance calls it out. “Three…Two…One!” On the count of one, all Paladins slam their Bayards into the Bayard ports of their Lions.

The Paladins are surrounded by a blinding white light. As their eyes clear, the Paladins find themselves in a place that reminds them of the space between realities. A place they experienced when they crossed into an alternate reality while retrieving the trans-reality comet. In the distance they see a white light, with thread like streamers shooting off from it.

They also see a sixth figure standing there. Robed, with a strangely shaped head. To Keith it appears to resemble…the head of a Lion.

In his head, Keith hears a voice. “Keith…Keith, listen to me. Take this energy. Focus it into the Lions. Break free from the bonds that hold Voltron.”

Returning from the unknown space, Keith utters a command. “Paladins. Leave your Bayards in their ports and maintain your grip on them. Focus on breaking free. Together.”

Focusing their minds on breaking free of the bonds, the Paladins effectively perform the same task that the Holts and Ryner are performing in the city. They redirect the energy corrupting the vines, and in doing so break the bonds holding the vines together. Released from the restrictions of the vines, Voltron breaks free from the vegetative trap.

\---------------

Bridge of General Branko’s Flagship.

“Voltron’s broken free of the tractor beam!”

“Fire all cannons!”

\---------------

Voltron

“We’re back, baby!”

Free from the suffocating grip of the vines and spurred on by Hunk, Keith puts Voltron on the offensive.

“Attack the cruiser!”

“Keith, wait! What about that tree-beast?”

Before Keith can respond, Pidge cries out a warning. “Guys, we’ve got incoming!”

Seeing the energy beam at the last minute, Keith barely moves Voltron out of the way in time. Turning towards the cruiser, the Paladins watch as it is hammered by a massive Ion beam.

The cruiser immediately explodes and disintegrates.

Following the beam back to its source, Keith smiles. The Olkari main Ion weapon just fired its first shot in anger.

In the Olkari control center, a jubilant Matt Holt celebrates. “Yes! We did it!”

Ryner sees one more threat that must be dealt with. “Now, Voltron! You must stop that tree-beast!”

Keith agrees.

“Let’s finish this fight!”

\---------------

Olkari Capital City

The tree-beast moves through the streets of the city, looking to crush any remaining resistance. It stops, targets the main Olkari Ion weapon, and launches a photon projectile. The projectile sails straight and true.

Just before it hits its intended target, the projectile is intercepted by Voltron. As the smoke clears, Keith stores the shield used to stop the photon round and faces the tree-beast.

Flying down to meet it, Voltron puts a shoulder into the tree-beast and pushes it to the edge of the city.

The tree-beast has one final trick up its sleeve.

Regaining its footing, the beast uncoils the vines that make up its ion weapons. It extends the vines and wraps them around Voltron. Vines encircle the Yellow, Blue, Black, and Green Lions, ensnaring them in a tight grip.

“Pidge, what is it doing?”

“The virus! It’s trying to absorb Voltron!”

Hunk calls out his status. I can’t see anything!”

As Voltron is dragged towards the beast, Keith urgently calls out to the Paladins.

“Are any of the lions free?”

“It’s got me!”

“Me too!”

Allura calls out to the one Paladin who hasn’t checked in. “Lance!”

With all his might, screaming at the top of his lungs, Lance extends the Red Lion, the right arm of Voltron. Taking dead aim at the tree-beast, he punches it squarely in the midsection. In contact with the beast, Lance unleashes a full power point-blank Ion shot.

A massive explosion and blinding white light obscure the battlefield, hiding both Voltron and the tree-beast. When the light dissipates, the tree-beast lies crumpled in a heap at the bottom of a crater, dead.

While Voltron stands tall over it.

**A Fresh Start**

The Olkari people are a resilient people. Recovering quickly from the attack, they set to work cleaning up the debris from the attack. Voltron stands amid the cleanup efforts, ready in the event they are needed.

The Paladins gather on the right shoulder of the giant robot, watching the Olkari cleanup effort. They are joined by Coran and Meltok.

Floating next to Voltron’s right ear is a hover pad holding Commander Holt and Matt. Pidge leaps up onto the platform to join her father and brother.

As Pidge and Matt look out over the devastated city and forest, their father puts a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Kids, I need to talk to you again about returning to Earth.”

Matt turns, faces his father, and begins to protest. “Dad…”

Commander Holt raises his hand to cut him off. “No, listen. I understand now. And I couldn’t be prouder. The whole universe is finding out what I’ve known all along. You two are something special.”

“Oh, Dad…” Pidge rushes to her father and puts him in a tight bear hug. Matt looks on as his father returns his sister’s hug with one of his own.

“And they need you. But I’m needed back on Earth.”

Concerned, Pidge pulls back and looks her father in the eye. He places a hand on her shoulder. “The Galaxy Garrison has to know what’s going on out here. They need to get ready. There’s a war coming.”

“So, this is goodbye?”

“For now, Katie.”

The three Holts join for another family hug.

On the shoulder of Voltron, Keith approaches Lance. “Lance…I’m really sorry I took your head off earlier. That was wrong of me. You did a great job out there today. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

Lance looks at Keith appreciatively. “Thanks, Keith. That means a lot.”

Keith pats Lance on the back and joins Meltok.

“You did well out there today, Keith. You kept your wits about you when you could have easily lost them.”

“Thank you, Master Chief. I know at times it seems like I don’t pay attention to what you’re trying to teach me. But, I want you to know, I am listening.”

Keith turns and he sees Allura approaching him. As she walks up, Meltok addresses them both.

“You both worked well together today. But there is still an undercurrent, a divide between you. Whatever the wall is that stands between the two of you...it’s time to tear it down.”

As Meltok turns to walk away, Allura stands and folds her hands in front of her. “Keith, can we talk?”

Keith gives her a stony look. “About what?”

“I wanted to apologize…for what I said about the Galra and how I said it. I was wrong”

“Ok…um…”

“I also want to apologize for what I said about the Galra people. It’s hard for me to look at the Galra as anyone other than the race that destroyed my home planet. My home, my family, my people were destroyed in that genocide.”

Keith’s expression softens. “Allura, I don’t pretend to know what that feels like, other than it must be horrible. I understand your anger. It’s perfectly natural.”

“Yes. Thank you. But I realize now that in my anger I was being unfair to an entire race of people. I didn’t stop to see things through **_their_** eyes. They had just lost their home planet, because my father destroyed it to close the inter reality rift. I don’t know if that was the right or wrong decision. The Galra were misled by a megalomaniacal tyrant. My anger should be directed at Zarkon and leaders of the Galra Empire, not at the people of the Empire. Isn’t that the point you were trying to get across?”

“Yes, it is. Allura, I felt the same way about the Galra that you did, until I discovered my own Galra heritage. Until I started to work directly with other Galra in the Blade of Marmora. Until I met…” His voice hitches slightly and trails off.

“Acxa?”

He gulps hard. “Other Galra. There is so much more to the Galra people, and I intend to find out as much as I can about them. About where I came from. About the culture.”

“Keith, you said that General Acxa is just as proud of her Corillian heritage as she is of her Galra heritage. Is that what you’re feeling right now?”

“Yes. At least, I think so. I only know half of my heritage…what my father taught me. I am proud to be the son of Stephen Kogane. I am proud to be from Earth. I want to be proud of my Galra lineage. To do that I have to learn about the Galra themselves. And maybe, someday…find out who my mother was.”

“Or is. Keith, she may still be alive.”

“I can only hope so.”

“I want you to know, I am trying very hard to overcome my prejudice and hard feelings against the Galra. I can’t do it overnight. Words alone won’t cure 10,000 decaphoebs of pent-up anger on my part. A hug won’t fix it. I’ll need help along the way. I’m hoping…you can help me with that.”

Keith smiles warmly at Allura. “Of course, I will.”

Allura extends her hand, “…can you forgive me?”

“Yes. We’re in this together.” Keith takes her hand, and she gasps with surprise as he pulls her in for a hug.

Breaking her embrace, Allura gives him a thoughtful look. “Thank you.”

**The Chosen One**

Haggar’s Sanctuary, Battleship Whatever

Haggar’s reverie is interrupted as the keypad to her sanctuary is activated and the door flies open.

Turning, she sees Zethrid, Ezor, and Acxa standing in the doorway. Hands on her hips, Ezor confidently addresses Haggar.

“Look who we found.”

She steps aside. From down the hallway comes the person she sent them to find. The person she has hand selected to be the next Galra Emperor.

Commander Sendak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The run up to the Kral Zera chapter (coming up next) is complete. Fair warning, major canon divergence is coming, not only in the next chapter but in the order of a few things coming up. Going forward, the release schedule will be one chapter at a time as opposed to two.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Comments, to include constructive criticism, are always welcome.
> 
> Stay safe, everyone!


	7. Kral Zera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come to choose a new Emperor for the Galra Empire. Knowing their efforts to defeat Zarkon will have been in vain if the wrong person ascends to the throne, the Paladins make the fateful decision to back a candidate. Keith and Lotor slowly begin to bond over their shared Galra heritage as Lotor describes the details behind the Kral Zera ceremony. When Haggar arrives with a puppet candidate for Emperor, Keith and Lotor fight together as the battle for the very soul of the Galra Empire erupts around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter loosely follows canon flow in terms of events, but it is mostly canon divergent in terms of relationship and foreshadowing of future plot points. It is slightly longer than I originally intended, but there is a lot of action going on and I wanted to make sure I described it in enough detail.
> 
> The concept of clans is touched on in this chapter, and three clans are named. I'll work a more detailed explanation of Galra clans and family structure in an upcoming chapter.

**WARLORD RANVEIG**

Warlord Ranveig’s Base

Ranveig’s massive battleship docks at his main base for resupply. Waiting for them in the shadows of the dock are a three-person Blade of Marmora strike team. The leader, Ilun, pulls up the display from his wrist device and verifies their objective.

“That’s our target. As soon as it docks, we go. Follow the path the Senior Commander laid out for us.”

The team cautiously makes their way down the corridor leading from the warehouse to the Battleship. Entering one of the storerooms holding containers bound for the ship, Ilun puts their plan in motion.

“Ilun, are you sure this is going to work?”

“Trust me. This is a trick I picked up picked up from the Black Paladin.” Climbing into the crates, they wait until the they are picked up by droids and carried onto the ship.

When the crates are loaded into the cargo bay, and the droids depart, the team emerges.

“Good tip, Ilun.”

From behind them comes the hum of a weapon powering up. Drawing their Blades, the turn and find a Galra Lieutenant, rifle drawn, in attack position. They engage in a standoff, until the Lieutenant lowers his weapon.

“Follow me”

He escorts them to Warlord Ranveig’s Ready Room just off the Bridge. He points to an access portal in the ceiling. “This shaft will take you directly above the Bridge”

Ilun acknowledges the Lieutenant as a fellow Blade. “Thank you brother.”

From down the hall comes the voice of Warlord Ranveig. “The Archivist is taking too long to start the ceremony.”

The Lieutenant admonishes them to hide, and the strike team enters the shaft just as the door to the Ready Room flies open.

“If he waits much longer, the Empire will descend into chaos.” Stepping into the Ready Room with a subordinate, Warlord Ranveig is fit to be tied. His frustration stems from the delay in announcing the succession ceremony to select the new Galra Emperor.

Ranveig is a towering man. A member of the Optoma clan, he stands well over seven-and-a-half feet tall, a full head taller than most Galra. Barrel-chested with broad shoulders, he cuts an intimidating figure. His legs are shorter than a typical Galra’s and somewhat out of proportion to the rest of his body. His left eye is missing, lost in a battle long since forgotten. In its place is an artificial eye containing advanced optics that he uses for precision targeting of his adversaries.

The Lieutenant salutes him and awaits his orders.

Ranveig impatiently barks one. “Make ready for takeoff.”

\---------------

Ilun opens the communication link to his contact on the base. Completing the transaction, he turns back to his team. “The message is sent. Senior Commander will notify the Blade Master. Settle in, we have a trip in front of us. We should receive our orders before we get to Feyev.”

\---------------

Blade of Marmora Shuttle on route to Olkarion

Kolivan carefully studies a situation report while on route to the Castle of Lions. As they approach their destination, his study is interrupted. “Blade Master, there is an incoming message for you from our operative on Warlord Ranveig’s base.”

The Blade Master glances up from his report. “Very good. What does the Senior Commander have to say?”

“Our team is on Ranveig’s ship, which is making for Feyev. Your suspicions were correct. Ranveig is expecting the Archivists call to come at any moment.”

“Excellent.”

**THE PRETENDERS**

The Castle of Lions, Olkarion

Pidge and Hunk diligently noodle at their workstations in the science lab of the Castle of Lions. Hearing furious typing coming from Hunk’s station, Pidge can’t resist the urge to stand and see what her large compatriot is up to.

“Hunk, what are you doing?” She looks at his screen and furrow’s her brow with questioning disapproval. “Why are you single-modulating the gendocam?”

Hunk continues typing and maintains his focus on the task at hand while answering the question from his diminutive friend. “Settle down, Pidge. It’s a gendocam, not a vlexagane, okay? Single modulation is fine.”

Pidge assumes a playful air of false superiority as she closes her eyes and speaks with an air of confidence. “You should double-modulate everything.”

Hunk can’t believe what he’s hearing, and thinks Pidge is trying to be funny. “Are you crazy? That’s a waste of a button-press.”

The friendly debate is interrupted by Commander Holt. “Sorry to interrupt.”

Pidge is more than happy to pull her father into the conversation. “Hey, Dad, real quick. How do you reconfigure a gendocam?”

“Oh, great question. Well, you start off by double-modulating…”

Pidge snaps her fingers and pumps her fist in the air. “AH HAH! I told you!”

Hunk says nothing, but he doesn’t have to. His expression says it all, and Commander Holt picks up his meaning.

“Ah, modulating arguments. That’s how your mother and I met.”

Pidge and Hunk exchange the look teenagers share when their parents start telling them ‘how they met’ stories. Commander Holt quickly picks up the meaning of the look as well and changes the subject.

“Aaanyway, have either of you seen Keith? I want to go over my report for the Galaxy Garrison one last time before I leave.”

“I think he’s down at the space dock in the city. Kolivan is coming in and he and the Master Chief went down there to meet him.”

\---------------

Olkarion

Stepping off his shuttle, Kolivan is greeted by Master Chief Meltok and Keith. After exchanging pleasantries, the trio walk back towards the Castle of Lions.

Meltok and Keith brief Kolivan on what has transpired since he was last at the Castle. Kolivan in turn briefs the two of them on what he’s heard from Ilun.

“Expect the call for the Kral Zera to go out at any time. We must be ready to act.”

“The Kral Zera ceremony. Lotor mentioned this ceremony and how important it is that he be there. He also wants Voltron there. He’s very concerned about the contenders for the throne.”

“He’s right to be concerned. He must become Emperor. Sometimes, the devil we know is better than the devil we don’t know.”

Kolivan ponders Meltok’s words for a moment. “Given your history with Lotor, I’m surprised to hear you say that. Nevertheless, you may very well be right, Master Chief.”

The Blade Master turns to Keith. “It’s important that we gather the Paladins and Lotor together. It’s time we determine our course of action so we are ready to act when the call goes out.”

“Of course.” Keith turns and looks quizzically at Meltok. “You and Lotor have a history?”

Meltok furrows his brow and stares firmly back at Keith. “Yes, and we’re not going to talk about it.” His expression conveys the seriousness of his response. He really doesn’t want to talk about it.

Realizing he’s treading on very thin ice, Keith decides now is a good time to make himself scarce. “I’ll make arrangements to gather everyone together on the Bridge of the Castle. Join us when you are ready.”

Once Keith is out of earshot, Meltok leans in to Kolivan. “Please do not bring that up again.”

“My apologies, Meltok. I meant no disrespect.”

Meltok lets out a heavy sigh as he stares at the ground. “None taken.” He pauses for a moment then changes the subject. “How is she, Kolivan?”

“Your sister? Well enough at the moment. Although she’s telling me about Ranveig’s work with a super weapon that makes me very nervous. It needs to be dealt with, but I don’t like the options she is giving me.”

“She is aware…of Keith?”

“Yes. That knowledge is staying her hand for the moment. If she feels she has no choice, she’ll do what needs to be done and no one can talk her out of it.”

Meltok looks towards the Castle and watches Keith enter it. “I know one person who could.”

“True, but if we send him in we risk losing them both. Are you prepared for that possibility?”

“It’s risk I live with every day, Kolivan. If we don’t send him in after her, we are sure to lose her. I know how stubborn she can be.”

He claps the Master Chief on the back. “Stubbornness seems to run in your family. We have a little time before we must decide when and how to get her out. Come, we need to get to the Bridge.”

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

The two Blade leaders make their way to the Bridge. Entering, they note that everyone else is present. Lotor and Meltok make eye contact and nod ever so slightly to one another, as if they are conversing without words.

Allura acknowledges the presence of the Blade leaders. “Good. Everyone is here. Lotor, you were starting to tell us your thoughts on what happened here on Olkarion.”

“Yes, thank you Princess. Branko’s wanton attack was only the beginning. Without an Emperor, more and more high-ranking officials will start lashing out and consolidating their power at the Kral Zera.”

Hunk asks the question on the minds of the non-Galra in the room. “Uh, just gonna jump in here. What exactly is the Kral Zera? Is there food there? It sounds awful fancy.”

“It’s the coronation ceremony for a new Emperor or Empress. It is held on one of the first planets we, the Galra, conquered. Planet Feyev, a sacred land.”

Keith is familiar enough with the ceremony to be dangerous. “Ok, so who all will be at this Kral Zera?”

“Allow me to show you.” He pauses and turns to Allura, realizing he may be overstepping his bounds. “May I, Princess?”

“Go ahead.” Despite her promise to Keith to be more open-minded when it comes to the Galra, Allura’s body language betrays a lingering mistrust of the Galra in general, and Lotor in particular.

Lotor pulls up images of the pretenders to the Galra throne on the main screen

“Warlord Ranveig is one of the fiercest Galra in the Empire. That’s why my father sent him to the fringes of the universe. He will already have several factions pledging their allegiance.”

Lance stares at the imposing image of Ranveig with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. “Warlord, huh? I’m guessing you don’t get that title by being nice.”

“General Gnov was one of Zarkon’s most trusted advisors. She will be unifying Zarkon’s inner circle of Commanders. They know what they’ll be getting with her. She’s not as reckless as Warlord Ranveig, but she’s just as cruel.”

Gnov is a tall and powerful Galra female of the Pulfari clan. As with others of her clan she sports three head ridges, the outer two curling behind and around her large cat-like ears, terminating in a point just below her eyes. Cunning, deliberate, and cruel, she is an excellent swordswoman.

“Quartermaster Janka. He is responsible for overseeing supply routes throughout the Empire. Don’t let his stature fool you. His power is bureaucracy, and he should not be underestimated.”

Janka is a pale, pot-bellied Galra male of the Edari clan. Short by Galra standards he is nevertheless cruel and cunning in his own right. He was the bureaucratic power behind Zarkon’s throne.

Pidge adds color commentary on Janka. “He keeps popping up on my database. His supply chain management is incredible.” She looks at Hunk while expressing her admiration for Janka’s management skills. “He definitely color-codes.”

To Hunk, Pidge’s praise of Janko seems a tad misplaced. “So, organized evil. Okay.”

“And finally, Zarkon’s witch, Haggar.”

Keith and Allura both stare at the image of the High Priestess, hostility burning in their eyes. Keith responds very coldly. “We’ve met”

“She’s the most dangerous of them all. Because she’s not Galra, and therefore not eligible to rule, she probably has a puppet already. Someone she can control and manipulate. If the Galra were smart, they’d be working together against her. If Haggar’s puppet takes over, then stopping Zarkon’s reign will all have been for naught.”

For Keith, the decision is simple. “Then we can’t risk any of them assuming control. We should help Lotor take command of the Galra Empire.”

“I don’t know, Keith. Why don’t we let them fight amongst themselves awhile before we do anything?”

Allura looks at Keith then gives Lance a response Keith was not expecting. “We’ve discussed this Lance. It’s far too risky if we don’t intervene. We don’t know what will happen if we allow things to degenerate into a free-for-all.”

Lance is still unconvinced. “Yeah, and if we go barging in there, it’s just as risky.”

Keith stands next to Allura and gives her a quick smile before addressing Lance. “You know what we just went through on Olkarion, and that was just one rogue commander vying for the throne. When the Galra Empire lashes out, everyone in the universe suffers.”

Pidge has a more practical question. “How would we even get Lotor there without stirring up a huge fight?”

“I’ll be bringing Voltron.”

Hunk feels a chill run down his back as he responds slowly and sarcastically.: “Yeah, because Voltron never gets in fights.”

Kolivan steps forward. “Princess. If I may. As Keith is aware, I’ve received confirmation that the Archivist will be putting out the call for the Kral Zera at any moment. Meltok and I believe we have an answer to the Green Paladin’s question.

“Go ahead. We’re listening.”

**THE PLAN**

Bridge, Castle of Lions

Kolivan lays out the plan he and Meltok finalized prior to their arrival on the Bridge.

“A Blade of Marmora strike team is arriving on Feyev aboard Warlord Ranveig’s ship. Once there, they will plant explosive devices in the pyramid on which the Kral Zera sits. We wish to cause as little harm to the sacred site as possible, as that will have unintended consequences. The devices will not be detonated unless a situation arises in which they may be needed.”

Guessing he has a part in this plan, Keith begins to probe for details. “What situations, Kolivan?”

“If Lotor’s life is in danger. Or if the probability of someone else ascending to the throne becomes too great.”

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Keith, Allura crosses her arms and starts probing as well. “Ok. Where does Voltron come in?”

“Keith will take Lotor to Feyev in the Black Lion. The Black Lion holds special significance among the Galra, since Zarkon was its first Paladin, and its current Paladin is of Galra heritage.”

“Wait…that implies the Galra know that I’m…”

“Of Galra heritage. Yes, it is well known throughout the Empire. That type of information travels quickly. You should hear what the Galra Information Ministry says about you.”

Keith smirks. “I can only imagine…”

“To the Princesses’ question…the rest of the Paladins will sneak through the same wormhole the Black Lion comes through, but they will take a covered position behind Feyev’s neighboring moon. From there they can reach Feyev at a moment’s notice. They are not to deploy unless Keith calls for them.”

“The Castle of Lions will be a wormhole jump away. We cannot risk bringing them through the wormhole at the same time as the Lions because of its sheer size. We can’t hide it the way we can hide the Lions.”

“Once Lotor is coronated, Voltron will act as his escort back to Galra Central Command.”

“Sounds like a great plan…as long as everything goes according to plan.”

“Things will always go wrong, Lance.” Keith looks at Meltok and recalls one of the first lessons he received from the Master Chief. “We just need to make sure we know what we’re doing once it does. Be ready.”

**FEYEV**

Approaching planet Feyev

Warlord Ranveig receives the message he’s been waiting for. “The Archivist as made the summons.”

“Set a course for planet Feyev. It is time for me to burn with the glory of the Kral Zera and take my place on the Galra Throne.”

In the shaft above the Bridge, the Marmoran strike team hears the summons. They’ve already received orders from Kolivan on what to do when they reach Feyev.

Ilun calls back to Ranveig’s base to alert their contact that the call has been made

\---------------.

Black Lion on route to Planet Feyev

Galra fleets representing the major Galra clans and factions slowly approach Feyev.

Also approaching Feyev is the Black Lion. Having slipped through a wormhole undetected with the other Paladins, they make their way cautiously towards their destination. Seeking to learn all he can about this important tradition, Keith asks Lotor for an explanation of the Kral Zera ceremony.

“Being from the royal family, you’re probably the best person to tell me the details. All I know is that it’s on Feyev and it has to do with the coronation of the Galra Emperor.”

“You seem far more interested in Galra traditions than most in the Coalition.”

“Well, I am half-Galra and I know very little about Galra culture.”

“Except for what you learned from Kolivan and Meltok…and possibly a certain someone else?”

Keith sports an annoyed expression as he stares at his computer screen. “Something like that.”

As much as Lotor enjoys pushing Keith’s buttons, it’s time to get serious. Filling Keith in on the details of the Kral Zera ceremony will help him focus on what he’s about to do.

“Well, I’m sincerely honored you asked me about an important part of your heritage as a Galra. I will be happy to tell you about it.”

“Feyev is a cold, harsh, rocky, barren planet. Nothing grows there.”

“So, why is it so sacred to the Galra?”

“It’s a symbolic yet powerful part of Galra culture. Feyev is the first planet we Galra conquered. It is also the place where the first Galra Emperor was crowned, and the first eternal flame was lit. Since that time, Feyev is symbolic of the absolute power the Galra Emperor possesses. The harshness of the planet symbolizes the harshness with which Galra Emperors rule their domains.”

“The most sacred site on this sacred planet is the pyramid complex where the Kral Zera lies. It is perched on the top of Mount Perdiap. At the base of the pyramid is the Great Plaza, a large open-air space. The plaza is ringed on three sides by a large seating area, five steps high, which can hold up to two-thousand people. In the middle of the Great Plaza, which can hold close to a thousand people, sits a cauldron. An eternal fire burns within it. Aligned along the inside edge of the cauldron are torches.”

“What are the torches for?”

“I’ll explain in a moment. The pyramid sits on the northern side of the Great Plaza. Steps run up the side of the pyramid from the Great Plaza to a platform at the very top of the pyramid. Sitting in the middle of this upper platform stands the Kral Zera. It is the capstone of the pyramid. The Kral Zera is a two-piece structure, in the shape of a flame. It represents the warrior spirit and soul of the Galra people. The center of the Kral Zera structure is open. In this open space burns the eternal flame. The eternal flame that represents the Galra Emperor.”

“The Kral Zera is tended by the Archivist. He is the keeper of Galra traditions related to royal succession, and he is the one who maintains the holy site. He is very old and is kept alive by infusions of Quintessence. Because of the knowledge he possesses and the duties he performs, he is viewed as a holy man. No one, not even the Emperor, will say anything bad about him, or lift a finger to replace him.”

“This Archivist sounds like a Shaman…a holy man among some of the peoples on Earth. This eternal flame you mentioned…it has been burning since the days of the first Emperor?”

“That’s not quite true. You asked about the torches. When an Emperor or Empress dies, their flame continues to burn on the Kral Zera until it is extinguished by the Archivist at the beginning of the Kral Zera ceremony. The candidate for Emperor or Empress who can take a lit torch from the cauldron at the base of the pyramid to the cauldron at the base of the Kral Zera and re-light the flame becomes the new Emperor.”

“And that’s where we can run into trouble. That was quite the group of cutthroats and scoundrels you showed us.”

“You have no idea just how bad they truly are. Words can’t describe the depths of depravity most of them have sunk to. There will be a fight to see who will take their torch to the top. That’s where I may need your help…and Voltron’s.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“Speaking of being ready. There is one more thing you must do to prepare for what you’re about to experience.”

“What is that?”

“The Galra respect strength. They respect confidence. When you make your appearance, and trust me you will make an appearance, you must not show any sign of doubt or fear. You must be focused on the here-and-now of the immediate situation. Do not allow yourself to be distracted.”

Keith recalls Meltok’s words to him about being the leader of Voltron shortly after he related to the Master Chief the events on the desert planet.

“In other words, you want me to act like the Black Paladin. The leader of Voltron who is not afraid of anyone or anything. Especially other Galra. You want me to act like I'm the strongest person there.”

“Precisely!”

\---------------

The Great Plaza, Mount Perdiap, Planet Feyev

Waiting for the Archivist to start the Kral Zera ceremony is a who’s-who of Galra leadership.

General Gnov, Zarkon’s Chief of Staff; Commander Trugg, Captain of Zarkon’s Battleship; Commander Ladnok, most recently Captain of Admiral Trag’s flagship; Quartermaster Janka; and about three hundred forty lesser-known Galra Commanders, some hoping to try their luck.

One person conspicuous by his absence is Admiral Trag. When asked by Commander Ladnok if he was going to the Kral Zera ceremony, he told her he had no desire to suck up to the vermin that would most likely be there.

Warlord Ranveig’s ship lands as the Galra on the Grand Plaza plan and plot their strategies to assume the throne.

Quartermaster Janka stares intently at the Kral Zera structure. His thoughts are interrupted by a taunt from General Gnov. “Avert your gaze. The throne is for real fighters.”

Janka is not easily intimidated by words. “I’ve conquered more worlds than you’ve ever seen with just a swipe of my finger.”

\---------------

Warlord Ranveig’s Ship on Approach to Feyev

Huddled in an open hatchway on Warlord Ranveig’s ship, Ilun’s team assesses the situation.

“All right, when we get down there, set one explosive on each load-bearing beam. We will detonate them only if the situation calls for it. Wait for the signal to do so.”

“Signal from whom?”

“Kolivan said we’d know once we saw them.”

\---------------

The Grand Plaza and Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

Janka stares up at the top of the pyramid and spies a figure moving to the front of the Kral Zera.

“The Archivist!”

The Archivist stands in front of the Eternal Flame of the Kral Zera. A tall slender man of the Qronga clan, with a long torso, long arms, and long legs. He wears a mask that aids his breathing. On his back he wears a special apparatus to which are attached two Quintessence cylinders. Quintessence has kept the Archivist alive since the start of Zarkon’s reign.

The Archivist raises his hands and addresses the crowd. “Through 8 rulers, during times of peace and times of expanse, this flame has burned for over thirteen millennia. From our first Emperor, Brodar, to Thurig the Great, and longest and most powerful of all…Zarkon.”

“But his time has passed.”

With a snap of the Archivist’s slender fingers, the Eternal Flame representing Zarkon is extinguished.

**BATTLE OF FEYEV**

The Archivist makes a call for action to the assembled crowd. “Our next ruler must ascend the steps of destiny and relight the Kral Zera.”

No one moves for a moment. Then one brave soul steps forward towards the flame pit. One of the Commanders outside of Zarkon’s inner circle. He reaches for a torch but before he can get a grip on one he is impaled in the back by a bladed weapon. 

Warlord Ranveig, the owner of the weapon, uses it to hurl the hapless Commander across the Grand Plaza. He bounces on the hard pavement three times before sliding to a stop.

“Fool! Only the strongest may lay their hands on the torches. That is why I will assume command.”

Ranveig turns to face the others. Standing erect, exuding an air of confidence, he cuts an intimidating figure. “I have been on the frontlines of the expanse, where iron meets soul, spreading the glory of the Empire, not huddled in the center overseeing already-conquered worlds, growing fat on the victories of our forefathers.”

Ranveig grabs a torch and holds it up high for everyone to see.

From the edge of the crowd comes the voice of High Priestess Haggar. It is a voice no one in the audience wants to hear.

“Warlord Ranveig speaks the truth. That is why Sendak, the purest of the Galra, should light the flame. He was Zarkon’s right hand for millennia, and he will lead the empire for 10,000 more years.”

Sendak is just as imposing as Ranveig. From the same clan as the Warlord, Sendak is slightly smaller in stature, but no less powerful than Ranveig. His left arm is missing, replaced by a large mechanical floating claw that he can extend great distances to strike powerful blows against his enemies. His right eye is gone, lost in the same battle that took his arm. In its place is an artificial eye with advanced optics.

Sendak was missing for some time, which is why Haggar sent the Generals to find him. He was last heard from during his abortive attempt to capture the Castle of Lions. Successfully taking it for a short time, he was ultimately bested by the Paladins.

Everyone is surprised to see him on Feyev and even more surprised to see him with the High Priestess. Rounding out Haggar’s entourage and providing security are Lotor’s Generals.

“The witch and Sendak!”

Quartermaster Janka is gravely concerned about this turn of events. He turns to General Gnov and makes an offer. “Perhaps we should put our differences behind us. The only way we can stop those two is by working together.”

Gnov responds derisively to Janko. “Why would I partner with the weak?”

Ranveig and Sendak face off as the crowd forms a circle around them. It is time to begin a time-honored Galra tradition…taunt your opponent. Still holding a torch, Ranveig gets things started. He words are for the crowd as much as they are for Sendak.

“Sendak, who disappeared while the Empire crumbled? Sendak, who needs a witch to speak on his behalf?”

Sendak, while a fearsome and callous warrior, is also thin-skinned. Just how thin-skinned is revealed when he lashes out against Ranveig’s taunts. “Enough! Victory or Death!”

Ranveig draws his blades. “Now you will know why Zarkon put me in the most dangerous territory in the universe.” He twirls his weapons above his head, one in each hand, in an impressive display of power.

Sendak is the first to charge, but Ranveig wastes no time in closing the gap on his adversary. Ranveig swings a blade in a short compact stroke. Sendak ducks out of the way and counters a swing from Ranveig’s other blade with his claw.

A strike from Sendak’s claw is parried by Ranveig’s blade. Ranveig counters by taking a massive downward stroke at Sendak. The blade misses its mark, smashing into the paving stones of the Grand Plaza. Off-balance, Ranveig is struck by the claw of Sendak and thrown into the air.

Ranveig lands on his feet and slides backwards. Sendak charges him before he can reset and launches his floating claw at him. Ranveig leaps high and avoids the streaking claw. As Ranveig lands on his feet, Sendak leaps in the air and attempts a kick with his left foot. The blow is countered by Ranveig, who crosses his blades and blocks the kick.

Sendak executes a forward flip, lands, and recalls his claw. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Ranveig charges and takes another swing at Sendak’s head. Sendak ducks as Ranveig takes two more swings. His second swing throws him slightly off-balance, and he opens himself up to attack for just a tick.

And that is all Sendak needs.

His floating claw catches Ranveig in the chest. The hulking Warlord is thrown off his feet and hurled into the retaining wall at the edge of the Grand Plaza.

His enemy down, Sendak strides menacingly towards him.

\---------------

Interior of the Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

While the battle between Sendak and Ranveig rages above them, Ilun and his team plant the explosive charges on the support pillars of the pyramid.

\---------------

The Grand Plaza and Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

The battle between Ranveig and Sendak is over. Racing back towards the cauldron, Sendak pulls Ranveig towards him with his claw. The giant Warlord bounces twice on the stones of the Grand Plaza, landing at Sendak’s feet.

Sendak points his claw at Ranveig’s head, ready to strike. “You are defeated.” Using the ion weapon built into his claw, he eliminates the main threat to his claim on the Galra throne.

Raising his claw, he declares to the crowd, “The Empire is mine!”

Sendak grabs a torch from the cauldron and makes for the steps that lead to the Kral Zera. He begins the climb then turns to face the crowd, waving the torch. “I will strengthen the Empire as no one else can.”

Commander Trugg begs to differ with him.

“STOP!”

She confronts Sendak. “You cannot light the torch without facing my blades.”

Trugg charges up the steps towards Sendak. Gritting his teeth, he fires two shots from his claw, missing with both. As she leaps into the air, he targets her using the advanced optics in his artificial eye. Firing a third round, he strikes Trugg in the midsection, knocking her back down the steps and into the Grand Plaza.”

The crowd falls silent as the battered Trugg struggles to her feet. But before Sendak can ascend the steps, the roar of a Lion comes overhead.

The Black Lion has arrived.

**ENTER THE PRINCE**

The Grand Plaza and Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

Making a low circular pass over the Grand Plaza, the Black Lion sets down on the Eastern side of the Grand Plaza, close to the pyramid. The strong wind kicked up by the landing extinguishes the torch in Sendak’s hands.

Standing next to Zethrid on the Western side of the Grand Plaza, Acxa’s eyes widen in surprise. She mutters under her breath. _“Nooo. What are you doing here? You fool!”_

Ilun and the strike team take their positions at the exit to the catacombs just below and in sight of the Grand Plaza. Seeing the Black Lion, Ilun tells his team to be alert.

“The Black Paladin knows we are here. Watch for his signal.”

For most of the Galra assembled on the Grand Plaza, this is the closest they’ve ever been to one of the Lions of Voltron. The size and scale of the Black Lion strikes fear into their hearts.

The jaws of the Black Lion slowly open and a figure emerges from the shadows.

Recognizing the person standing in the jaws of the Lion, Sendak snorts derisively. “Lotor”

“Halt! Your true Emperor has arrived”

Shoulders slumped, head bowed slightly and covered by her hood, Haggar is just as shocked as the others at the arrival of Lotor. Standing behind the High Priestess, Acxa shoots daggers at Lotor with her eyes. Zethrid stands to Haggar’s left facing her and looks over her left shoulder at the Prince. Her eyes communicate the hatred she feels for him. Ezor, standing to Haggar’s right, is more guarded in her expression, but the emotion she feels at the sight of the Prince matches that of Zethrid and Acxa.

The Black Lion bows his head, allowing Lotor to exit. The crowd parts as he strides confidently across the Grand Plaza.

As Lotor approaches the Cauldron, Sendak challenges him with a verbal taunt. “You? Lead the Galra Empire? What could possibly make you think that you could be our Emperor?”

Lotor stands confidently by the cauldron and stares Sendak down. His words carry a warning not just to Sendak, but to the rest of the assembled Galra.

“My father’s blood is not just in my veins. It’s also on my sword. The Emperor fell to me and so will anyone that stands in my way.”

Standing on the steps of the pyramid, Sendak throws down the extinguished torch. “You think treachery makes you qualified to lead us?”

Lotor strides around the Cauldron, putting himself closer to Sendak. “I will light the flame not for defeating my father, and not even for being the strongest Galra here. But because I did something no one else could do.”

Lotor points back in the direction from which he came.

“I returned the Black Lion to the Galra.”

Everyone turns towards the Black Lion. Keith, in full regalia, stands in front of it, his hand on his still sheathed Marmoran Blade.

Acxa cannot hide her shocked expression. Something about him is different. The yellow eyes blaze in the dull light of Feyev, as they did during the Hyena attack on Braylar IV. And the striping…on his face…when did that appear? He seems much more confident. He seems…at home among the Galra. It seems as if he belongs here, among the Galra.

She slowly shrinks back into the crowd, trying to lose herself so that he doesn’t see her.

Only one person takes note of Acxa’s reaction. Standing just off to her right, Ezor carefully studies Acxa’s body language and follows her gaze, just to confirm who she is looking at. “Hmmph. Interesting.”

Keith’s eyes are locked on Lotor and the crowd immediately around him. He does not see Lotor’s Generals standing in the crowd on the opposite side of the Grand Plaza.

Lotor walks to the base of the steps. Facing off against his opponent, he throws down the gauntlet. “Stand aside, Sendak.”

Sendak invokes another time-honored Galra tradition. “Time to prove yourself through honorable rite of combat.”

Lotor extends his sword and challenges him. “No, time to end this.”

Recovered from the shock of seeing Lotor, Haggar intervenes and tries to stop the fight. “Enough! Lotor, you cannot lead the Galra.”

Lotor turns towards Haggar and sees his Generals standing near her. Narrowing his eyes in disgust, he responds snidely. “You think you can stop me, witch?”

“The blood that so bolsters your claim is also what quells it. You are not full Galra. You are a half-breed. Your mother was Honerva.”

During this whole exchange Keith keeps his eye on Lotor and Sendak. He still doesn’t see Acxa in the crowd, although he is beginning to wonder if she’s here. For that matter he wonders if she is even alive.

“Everyone here knows my lineage, but that will not keep me from the throne.”

He turns away from Haggar and towards Sendak, pointing his sword at the Commander.

“Now I’m taking what’s rightfully mine. I am lighting that flame, and my first act as Emperor will be to REUNITE YOU WITH MY LATE FATHER!”

Lotor charges up the steps towards Sendak.

“YOU’RE NOT GETTING TO THE TOP OF THESE STEPS!” Sendak charges down the steps towards Lotor.

Against physically stronger opponents, Lotor typically plays a game of cat and mouse. He does so with Sendak. The Prince goads the Commander into taking two wild swings with his claw. The nimble Lotor leaps acrobatically out of the way of both strikes. Sendak’s rage burns brightly, driving him to make wild attacks with his claw. Leaping from step to step, Lotor dodges all of his strikes.

Dodging another strike, Lotor hurls his sword towards Sendak. As it streaks toward him it spins like a circular sawblade. Sendak blocks the sword, knocking it up into the air. Anticipating Sendak’s move, Lotor goes airborne, retrieves the sword, and in one fluid motion continues his attack on Sendak.

Sendak blocks his attack, knocking the Prince backwards across the length of a step. Sendak pursues him as Lotor regains his balance. The two continue their dangerous and repetitive strike/parry/counterstrike/parry dance until their weapons lock together.

Catching their breath, they take advantage of the lull to toss more taunts at one another.

“You don’t even know what you are, Sendak. So loyal, so brave, and yet so stupid.”

“I know exactly what I am. I am a warrior!”

Sendak charges the ion weapon in his claw and blasts the step, breaking their deadlock. Lotor slides backwards across the step, away from the blast. Regaining his footing, Lotor charges Sendak yet again.

“You are nothing but Haggar’s puppet!”

Sendak launches his claw at Lotor. Knocking it aside, Lotor goes for Sendak. Sendak crosses him up and comes at Lotor with his right hand. Landing a powerful blow, Lotor is tossed into the air, landing on a platform halfway up the steps to the Kral Zera.

Retrieving his claw, Sendak quickly pursues the Prince. The two men continue their fight, setting an exhausting pace.

\---------------

The Grand Plaza, Mount Perdiap

Watching the action and knowing that Lotor cannot win a protracted battle against a physically stronger opponent, Keith executes the one part of their plan he hoped would never be used.

Sprinting as fast as he can towards Lotor, Keith calls for the Paladins.

“Lance! Things are about to go south in a hurry. We need you here now! All hell is about to break loose!”

Lance’s reply is instantaneous. “ON OUR WAY, KEITH!”

He looks to the level below the Grand Plaza and sees Ilun lurking in the shadows. Making eye contact while maintaining his sprint up the steps, Keith gives him the designated hand signal to detonate the explosives.

\---------------

The Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

Continuing their jousting match on the middle level, the pair wind up in front of an entrance to the interior of the pyramid. Lotor takes a running forward leap over Sendak and takes a powerful swing. Sendak ducks the blow. Standing in front of the entrance to the Pyramid, the Commander is surprised to see the Black Paladin sprint past him. Lunging at Lotor, Keith roughly tackles him, deliberately hurling them both down the steps.

A split tick after the pair tumble down the steps of the pyramid, the bombs planted by Ilun sequentially explode.

The initial blast wave rolls out of the pyramid entrance on the middle level. Caught up in the concussive force of the explosion, Sendak is buried in debris. Five other bombs detonate, ripping holes in the sides of the pyramid and tossing debris on the Grand Plaza.

**THE NEW EMPEROR**

The Pyramid, Mount Perdiap

Grunting, Lotor struggles to his feet, aided by Keith.

Momentarily buried by debris, Sendak fights his way out and calls down to the crowd. “Lotor has betrayed us to Voltron! Fire on the Black Lion!”

Ion fire begins to rain down on the pilotless Black Lion. The shielding system of Black goes up automatically, protecting it from air and ground fire and from intruders. Fortunately, the smoke from the explosions masks the Lion and the ion beams from the cruisers fall wide of their target.

The barrage does not last long before the four other Paladins show up and occupy the cruisers.

Seeing the cruisers attacking the Black Lion, Lance spurs the Paladins to action. “We’ve got to draw their fire away from Keith and Lotor!”

Trugg, watching the Lions begin their attack on the cruisers, spots Haggar and Zethrid standing off by themselves on the Grand Plaza. As she draws her weapon and targets them, her wrist is struck by a shot from a blaster pistol. Turning she sees Acxa several yards away with her weapon pointed directly at her head. Trugg raises her hands, palms out, and slowly backs away.

Acxa sprints to join Haggar and Zethrid as Ezor covers her. Seeing someone pointing their weapon at Acxa, Ezor throws a blade, knocking the weapon out of their hand.

The scene at the base of the pyramid degenerates into a free-for-all as faction fights faction. In the skies, the cruisers fire on the Lions and on each other. The scene is pure bedlam as conflicting battle commands ring out across the airwaves.

“Commander Trugg’s fleet has opened fire!”

“Watch out for their left flank”

“Return fire immediately!”

“Fire on Gnov!”

The Paladins do their best not to cause too much damage to the fleets, but they are forced to act and use deadly force. They form their jawblades and take out selected targets as opposed to using Ion beams which would cause mass destruction of the ships.

\---------------

On the steps of the pyramid, Keith and Lotor look up at the carnage unfolding in the skies above them. A distressed Lotor shakes his head in disappointment.

“This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I knew they would all turn on each other.”

A primal scream erupts from the haze above them. Sprinting down the steps of the pyramid towards Keith and Lotor, Sendak resumes his attack. Leaping to close the distance between them, he lands between Keith and Lotor. His claw slams into a step, splintering it and sending shards of rock in all directions. Keith is tossed one way, Lotor thrown the other.

Emerging from the dust cloud, Keith draws his Marmoran Blade. Anticipating an attack from Sendak, Keith doesn’t realize the Commander is pursuing Lotor. He also does not see General Gnov streaking up the steps behind him. Not until the last minute.

Throwing his Blade up to block her strike, their swordfight begins. Keith immediately knows he’ll need all his wits and guile to defeat the taller and physically stronger Gnov.

Lotor continues to fight Sendak, who manages to get in another taunt. “Killing you would be too merciful. Once I’m Emperor, I’m going to keep you as my slave!”

\---------------

Keith’s fight against Gnov is not going well. Gnov is a powerful fighter and skilled with a sword. She presses her attack, taking three mighty swings that Keith barely avoids. Sparks fly as her sword strikes the stone steps. Gnov catches him on a backswing with her fist, connecting with his jaw and bowling him over. Tumbling across a step, he drops his Blade.

From the Grand Plaza below, Acxa keeps a keen an eye on their fight. Seeing Keith on the ground and not in possession of his Blade, she knows it’s time to act. Trying to keep a low profile so he would not see her, she now has no choice. It’s either intervene or see the man she cares about fall to a pureblood bigot.

She is not about to let him fall. As General Gnov closes in for the kill, Acxa takes careful aim.

_“Don’t even think about hurting him, bitch!”_

Keith reaches for his Blade, but before he can pick it up, Gnov steps on it. She raises her own sword in the air to deliver the killing strike.

A strike that never comes.

Acxa fires, knocking Gnov’s sword out of her hand.

Her hand limp and useless, Gnov turns to see who fired the shot. She is shocked to see it was Acxa.

Keith, still focused on Gnov, isn’t about to question his luck. He gets to his feet, leaps in the air and knees Gnov in the jaw, knocking her out.

Gasping for air, he turns his gaze to the Grand Plaza hoping to see who helped him. His jaw drops when he finds her. “Acxa??!”

Keith knows she was shooting at Gnov, not him. Acxa is too good a shot to miss. He freezes, thinking he’s her next target. Instead, he gets a look he’s never seen before and hopes never to see again.

If looks could kill, Keith would be dead. Her brow furrowed, Acxa’s eyes bore a hole straight through his body to his soul. There is anger behind that look, but there is also a hidden message he easily picks up.

_‘I just saved your life. Again! We’re even. This is payback for saving me from the Braylarian Hyenas.’_

Acxa holsters her pistol and turns to walk away. Maintaining eye contact with Keith, she softens her expression and sends him one more hidden message.

_‘Take care of yourself and don’t die.’_

Keith stands stunned and frozen in place for a moment. He is even more shocked when he sees her run to meet Haggar, Zethrid, and Ezor.

“Acxa…no…it can’t be. You’re with…Haggar now?”

Zethrid and Haggar are puzzled by what just happened. Ezor on the other hand knows exactly what is going on. The look she shares with Acxa tells Acxa exactly that.

Acxa speaks quickly and breathlessly, trying to cover her tracks.

_“Should we get Sendak?”_

Haggar has seen enough. She knows Sendak’s chances of becoming Emperor have faded with the arrival of the Paladins. “Leave him. The Empire has fallen.”

Boarding their shuttle, the group departs Feyev.

\---------------

The Skies above Mount Perdiap

The Paladins continue to battle the cruisers. Holding their own for a time, the sheer number of Galra warships threatens to overwhelm them.

Back in his Lion, Keith pushes Black at top speed to meet them.

“Hey, Keith, nice of you to drop by!”

“Can’t let you have all the fun, Pidge. Looks like you guys could use some help! OK Team, let’s form Voltron!”

Formed up as Voltron, the team proceeds to make surgical strikes against those factions causing the biggest problems. They allow any Galra ships wishing to depart peacefully to do so. Those that fire on Voltron are destroyed.

It doesn’t take the Galra ship captains long to figure that out, and an uneasy cease fire slowly takes hold among them.

\---------------

Pyramid Complex, Mount Perdiap

On the steps of the pyramid, Sendak observes what’s going on in the skies. Using his artificial eye to zoom in, he sees Haggar’s warship leaving the sector. With Voltron on the scene, an angry Sendak knows any hope he had of becoming Emperor are gone.

Lotor is not quite ready to end the battle. He calls out to Sendak as he makes one final attack.

“Sendak!”

“Huh?” Startled for just a tick, Sendak grabs a large chunk of stone debris with his claw and hurls it at Lotor. He then fires the ion weapon in his claw three times, breaking the stone into shrapnel. While Lotor dodges the sharp stone fragments, Sendak makes his escape.

\---------------

Outside the Pyramid Complex, Mount Perdiap

Doboshes later, Quartermaster Janka, trying to escape himself, makes his way to his fighter. Just short of his ship he is grabbed by the claw of Sendak. Firmly in the claw’s grip, Janka is suspended above a sheer drop down the side of Mount Perdiap. Knowing who attacked him, Janka bargains for his life.

“Sendak, I…we could work together. Brains and brawn. A joint rulership. Stronger than any the Empire has ever seen.”

Sendak is in no mood to negotiate. He has other plans in mind. “Your fleet is mine”

Sendak opens his claw dropping Janko into the deep ravine.

\---------------

The Kral Zera, Mount Perdiap

As Galra fleets untangle and prepare to retrieve their clansmen from Feyev, Lotor ascends the steps of the Kral Zera, torch in hand. Standing at the top of the pyramid to meet him is the Archivist. As Lotor reaches the summit, Voltron lands on the middle platform of the pyramid and stands next to the Kral Zera.

Allura and Keith both watch with great interest as Lotor approaches the cauldron at the base of the Kral Zera. Lotor stares intently at the Kral Zera for a moment, pondering the significance of what he is about to do. Lotor bends down and places the torch into the cauldron. Flame races up the flume from the cauldron. Reaching the top of the flume, the flame of the Kral Zera is relit.

Lotor turns and faces the crowd in the Grand Plaza.

The Archivist kneels and raises his hands in supplication to Lotor. He addresses the crowd that remains on the Grand Plaza.

“The flame is lit. Bow to your Emperor”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write, particularly when it came to writing the interactions between Keith and Lotor. What you have here is the beginning of a fraternal relationship between the two, and we're going to explore that a bit in the next few chapters.
> 
> When Acxa sees Keith upon his arrival at Feyev, she makes note of some physical differences in him. The explanation for those, and how they fit into the Galra Clan structure are explored in the next chapter.
> 
> Speaking of the next chapter...if you are thinking Keith's mother is going to show up, she will...eventually. Just not in the next chapter. Be patient, we'll bring her in at the right time.
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you are enjoying the work and will come back for the next update.


	8. Bloodlines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family ties and bloodlines are discovered and strengthen as everyone reflects on what it means to be part of a family. In some cases whether they want to be part of a family or not. Pidge and Matt say goodbye to their father, and Keith finds more details behind his Galra family lineage. Pidge and Matt say goodbye to their father, and Keith finds more details behind his Galra family lineage. Lotor and Allura work together as they attempt to confirm the existence of the mysterious realm that is the origin of Altean Alchemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Generally follows the canon flow with a substantial amount of non-canon AU material.

**The Messenger**

Hangar Bay, Castle of Lions.

“We’re going to miss you sir.”

With those words, Keith begins the long goodbye to Commander Sam Holt. In space for two decaphoebs, he is finally heading home to Earth. It’s been a long strange trip for the Commander, a chapter in his life he is ready to close.

“Ah, you guys seem to be fine without me. Your mission is here. Mine is on Earth. As soon as I get back, I’ll inform the Galaxy Garrison what’s going on and start working on our planetary defenses.”

“Do me a favor, sir? The next time you see Commander Iverson, tell him that disciplinary headache of his finally straightened up his act.”

Completely familiar with the run-ins Keith and Commander Iverson had in the past, Commander Holt can’t help but chuckle. “I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

Hunk approaches him with some requests of his own. “Sir, I had everyone record some messages for our families. Uh, a little heads up, I got teary in mine, so…that’s Mom’s eyes only.” Hunk hands him the data drive containing the messages.

Commander Holt takes it with a smile. “Of course.”

“Oh, and you don’t want to see Lance’s either, since it’s probably just a love message to Jenny Shaybon or the other Jenny. What was her name?”

“Shut up, Hunk!” Lance is not amused. He petulantly turns his back on the big Samoan and crosses his arms to emphasize his displeasure at being teased.

Hunk receives the message loud and clear. “Ok, I was just joking around. Jeez”

Lance is silent and doesn’t move, except for the imperceptible trembling wracking his body. Knowing his friend is upset but not knowing why, Hunk reaches out to him.

“Hey, are you ok, dude?”

Lance responds with a shaky voice. “I’m fine. It’s just…once I started thinking about going back to Earth, I…I started missing my mom and my brother Marco, and my brother Luis, and my sister Veronica, and my Abuela and…” Lance does his best to hold back the tears, but one escapes the corner of his eye and trickles down his cheek.

Hunk doesn’t know what to do. He is used to confident Lance and snarky Lance. He is not used to weepy Lance.

“Um, are you crying?”

“No! No, I just…” He sniffles and a heavy sigh escapes as he makes up an excuse to cover his behavior. “I just got space dust in my eyes. It’s very dusty in here.”

Lance’s near meltdown reminds Commander Holt that he must say goodbye to his son and daughter. He knows it will be some time before he sees them again.

“I guess this is it.”

Matt does his best to hold it together. “I wish I could go with you. I’d love to help build Earths first galactic defense system.”

“I’m just worried we won’t have enough time and resources to make a dent before we need it.”

Pidge stares at her father’s chest. She knows if she makes eye contact the dam holding back her tears will burst. But she manages to hold it together.

Growing up, her father often gave her words of encouragement whenever she faced a daunting challenge. She sees an opportunity to pay back his kindness by repeating something that stuck with her.

“A wise man once told me, if you get too worried about what could go wrong, you might miss your chance to do something great.”

Commander Holt’s heart bursts with love for his daughter as he gives her a warm smile. “Sounds like a wise man indeed.”

He turns to face his son. “Matt, you be careful on the front lines.” Then, he turns back to his daughter. “Pidge, you keep an eye on your brother for me.”

Pidge smiles at her father’s use of her nickname. “You got it, Dad.”

“I love you both so much!” Commander Holt pulls his children in for a tight embrace. To show them how much he loves them, and to keep them from seeing the tears streaming down his eyes.

He doesn’t fool them one bit.

“We love you too, Dad.”

Keith and Allura, standing together, observe the scene with appreciative smiles on their faces.

Hunk, Lance, and Coran on the other hand…turn to jelly. Hunk drapes an arm around Lance’s shoulder to stabilize himself, while Coran hangs on to the other side of the Blue Paladin. The tears flow freely from all three.

“There is a lot of space dust in here.”

“It’s filthy!”

\---------------

A short time later, a wormhole opens and the Altean shuttle carrying Commander Sam Holt proceeds through it on his way to Earth. Carrying messages of both a strategic and personal nature.

On the Bridge of the Castle of Lions, Pidge and Matt stand together and wave goodbye to their father.

More than four decaphoebs will pass before they see their father again.

**La Familia**

Paladin Lounge, Castle of Lions

Pidge stops by the lounge to pick up something and notices Lance in a corner, in obvious emotional distress. Concerned, she approaches and sits next to him. He is oblivious to her presence until she reaches out and touches his hand.

“Hey, Lance. Are you…ok?”

“Yeah, um, maybe, I’ll be fine…no, not really.”

“Ok, you were all over the map with that response. I’ll go with the last one and assume you’re not ok. What’s up?”

His eyes are red and puffy, with dark circles under them. His voice quivers as he speaks. “To be honest Pidge, I’m missing my family. Your dad leaving made me realize it. I guess I pushed homesickness down so far I forgot the feeling of missing them is still there.”

Pidge pulls her feet up and sits cross-legged on the sofa. “Tell me about your family?”

“What? Why?”

She speaks matter-of-factly, trying to keep the drama down for his sake. “You never talk about them. You know all about my crazy family. I don’t know a thing about yours.”

“Wait, did you just call my family crazy?”

“LANCE! I’m trying to help you here, nitwit! Besides, you’ll feel better talking about them and getting these feelings off your chest.”

“Oh…yeah…I guess so.” Realizing she’s right, he proceeds to tell her about his family.

“We’re Cuban, and I actually grew up on a farm on the island. We have a large family, a large extended family. My mom, dad, and my maternal grandparents all lived with us. I’ve got two brothers and two sisters. Marco and Luis are my brothers. Marco is the oldest, then Luis. My sisters are Rachel and Veronica. Veronica and I are a decaphoeb apart in age. There’s a ten-decaphoeb age difference between me and Marco.”

“Luis is the only one who married…at least that was the case when we left Earth. His wife is Lisa and they have two kids, Silvio and Nadia.”

“Wow, that sounds like a houseful of people. I’ll bet things got crazy from time-to-time. I’m sure your dad had a hard time running that household.”

Lance finally cracks a smile and chuckles. “To be honest Pidge, they were crazy all the time. And as the kids in the family, we’d want it no other way. Oh, and the real power in the family was Mom. Dad always told people he was in charge, and when it came to dealing with people outside the family, he was. But inside the family…Mom ran the show, and everyone knew it. The only person Mom yielded to was Abuela.

“Abuela?”

“Spanish for grandmother. Abuelo was what we called my grandfather. No one messed with him…except for Abuela.”

“What was it like growing up with two older brothers? I grew up with one and he could be a pain sometimes.”

“It was doubly painful at times. Being the older brothers, they felt it was their job to toughen up their little hermano. So, I got picked on. A lot. Especially by Luis. Funny thing, they didn’t pick on the girls. Probably because Mom raised her boys to be respectful and to watch out for their sisters. That and the fact that Mom would beat the tar out of us boys if we didn’t. My brothers protected Rachel and Veronica. On the one hand it really bothered my sisters. I never quite understood why, except they kept telling Marco they weren’t helpless china dolls. On the other hand, they played it up to get under my skin.”

“Let me guess. Your sisters teased you because your brothers didn’t give them a hard time. So, you risked the wrath of your mom and took it on yourself to pick on your sisters.”

“Hey, someone had to do it. But you know, as much as I tried, I could never pull one over on them.”

“So, which one are you the closest to?”

“Veronica. We’re only a decaphoeb apart, and even though we teased and pranked each other mercilessly, if one of us got picked on by someone outside the family, the other was there to back them up. Yeah, Veronica is tough.”

Lance puffs out his chest. “Imagine a woman as tough as me and you’ll know what she is like.”

Pidge winces and summons the sourest expression she can muster. “Lance, I think you just insulted your sister.”

“Hey now!”

She punches him in the arm. “Just kidding! It sounds like you have a cool family. I understand why you miss them.”

Pidge stands. “Thanks for sharing with me. I need to go give Hunk a hand with something. Do yourself a favor…don’t sit here and think about not being with your family. We need confident Lance back. We’ll be arriving at Galra Central Command soon. We can’t have the right hand of Voltron being all mopey.”

“Pidge…” Lance takes her hand. “Thank you. I needed this.”

She squeezes his hand back and smiles warmly. “No problem Cariño”.

She heads for the door to the Paladins Lounge, but purposefully walks slower than her normal pace. For a reason.

It takes a few seconds for what she said to sink in with Lance.

“Wait…you speak Spanish?”

Pidge smiles and winks at him. “Enough to be dangerous.”

She leaves him with his mouth hanging open.

He’s not completely sure how he feels right now, but he knows he no longer feels homesick.

**The Belly of the Beast**

Castle of Lions on Final Approach to Galra Central Command

As large as a medium sized moon, Galra Central Command dwarfs the Castle of Lions. The last time the Paladins were here, they were engaged in a pitched battle against Emperor Zarkon. Now they arrive as welcome guests of the new Galra Emperor.

Lance is awestruck as the Castle makes its final approach.

“I can’t believe we’re flying into the belly of the beast.”

Hunk is equally humbled as he stands with the other Paladins on the Bridge of the Castle. Since this is a state visit, they are in their “formal” Paladin attire.

“Strange to think the last time we were here, we were fighting the Galra. Now we’re working with them.”

Since teaming up with Lotor and observing the Kral Zera ceremony up close, Allura’s change in attitude is the most striking.

“We have to do everything we can to support Lotor. This is our chance to promote a new era of peace.”

\---------------

Grand Reception Hall, Galra Central Command

Docking their ship in one of the battleship docking bays, the crew of the Castle of Lions make their way to the Grand Reception Hall. The doors open to a majestic scene.

The Galra treat their arrival as a high-level state visit. Arrayed before them is an honor guard of forty sentinels. At the end of the Grand Concourse, underneath a gigantic banner that looks strangely familiar to Allura, stands Lotor with two of his senior most commanders.

The Castle crew arrange themselves in three rows. On the left in the first row is Lance. Allura is in the middle, occupying the command position. Since this is a diplomatic visit, Keith reminded her that her place is in the power position for this trip. Keith stands to Allura’s right.

Behind them in the second row stand Hunk, Coran, and Pidge.

In the third row, there at the express invitation of the new Emperor are Kolivan and Meltok.

Staring down the concourse at the waiting Emperor, Keith is struck by a momentary thought. If things had turned out just a bit differently, Acxa would be standing down there to Lotor’s right as the Emperor’s Chief of Staff. He puts the thought out of his mind quickly as there are other matters that require his attention.

Lotor breaks into a broad grin at the sight of his guests. Opening his arms in welcome, he invites them forward. “Thank you for coming, my friends.”

He gestures with a flourish to the banner hanging above them. “Princess Allura, I’ve prepared a new imperial banner to herald our alliance. This is the same symbol that flew over our fathers when they worked together as the original Paladins of Voltron. I hope that together we can return the universe to that golden age.”

Lotor now turns deadly serious. “Since I ascended to the throne, the Galra Empire has been torn apart. A sizable portion has sworn its allegiance to me. However, massive factions remain in revolt.”

“Uh, ok, the Galra aren’t exactly known to turn the other cheek.”

“They’re more likely to swing the other fist.”

Keith glares disapprovingly at Hunk and Lance for those comments while Allura studies Lotor’s reaction to them carefully.

Turning to face Lotor, Keith rewords their statement into a question. “How do you get an Empire that’s only known violence for thousands of years to put down their weapons?”

Lotor steps forward to get closer to Keith and Allura. “By providing them with the very thing they’re fighting for. Quintessence. Unlimited amounts of it.” He turns to address the Princess directly. “And, Allura, you are the key to getting it.”

As a surprised Allura ponders his words, Lotor turns back to the others. “I’m sure you’ll be interested in inspecting every aspect of the Galra headquarters.”

Keith speaks on behalf of himself and the representatives from the Blade of Marmora. “I’d like to take Coran, Kolivan and Meltok to cross-reference our star charts with current Galra troop locations.”

Lotor nods his head. “Consider it done.”

Coran is slightly puzzled by Keith’s request. “You want to sync our intelligence to the Galra Headquarters? Oh, I never thought I’d see the quiznacking quintant.”

Lotor pauses for a moment, then addresses Meltok. “Master Chief…I am aware that you are seeking several of your people. Our records library is open to your research. Perhaps when you’ve completed your task…you can avail yourself of it.”

Meltok looks to Kolivan, who gives him a slight nod of his head. He can’t help but notice Keith’s guarded yet attentive reaction to the conversation.

He faces Lotor and bows. “You are most generous, Emperor Lotor. Thank you. I shall be grateful for the opportunity.”

Lotor turns to Keith. “Commander Torquiv will take you to the Record Room. You will find everything you need there.”

The Commander gestures to Keith, Kolivan, Meltok, and Coran to follow him, and they quickly depart for the Record Room.

Lotor next turns to Hunk, Lance, and Pidge. “I’m leaving you with a personal escort that will take you wherever you’d like to go.”

Finally, he looks to Allura. “Come, Princess. There is much work to be done.”

Lotor and Allura depart, on their way to an unspecified location for what Allura believes will be diplomatic talks. Lance tries to follow them and is stopped dead in his tracks by the sentry droid assigned to escort them through the ship.

As Lance stands fuming at the Sentry, Hunk cautiously probes as to what they can do.

“So, we’re free to roam around Galra HQ and have some fun?”

The sentry responds with a question of its own. “What is…fun?”

Lance, still salty at being stopped from following Allura, sports a sly grin. “You’re about to find out.”

Pidge looks at Lance, a deadpan expression painted across her face. “Lance, it’s a robot. It can’t have fun. Unless…” She noodles through some rapid calculations in her mind and decides on a course of action. “…I reprogram it!”

That’s all Hunk needed to hear. He throws his arms in the air in jubilation at the thought of what is to come.

“Take us to the Sentry Repair Center!”

**Shenanigans Part I**

Sentry Repair Center, Galra Central Command

Less than a varga later, Pidge and Hunk complete the “improvements” to the sentry under the watchful eye of Lance. The droid lies in a prone position on its back, three cables hooked to access ports in the sides of its head. Pidge steps up to it, wraps up her modifications, and runs through the final checklist with Hunk.

“Reconfigured processor inserted.”

“Check”

“All rewired for optimal fun performance.”

“Checkity-check”

“Now, just gotta upload the new program, and…all right, I’m finished.”

Pidge and Hunk high-five each other for a job well done. “Yeah! Team Punk does it again!”

The sentry lies motionless on the table. Leaning over to check on it, Lance isn’t so sure their modifications were successful. “How do we know if it worked?”

It takes a moment, but the sentry’s startup sequence initiates. Whirring and chiming as systems come online, the sentry suddenly springs to life. Sitting up rapidly, it’s left arm slams into Pidge’s forehead, stunning her, and knocking her on her butt.

Hunk and Lance stare cautiously at the sentry, unsure about what they’ve unleashed on the universe. Their fears are calmed when the sentry turns to Hunk and speaks for the first time since its reconfiguration.

“You dum-dums got any non-lethal, semi-combustible diversionary devices?”

“What?”

Struggling to stand, Pidge tells Lance exactly what the sentry is looking for. “I think he’s…looking for firecrackers!”

Hunk smiles broadly. “Oh. The reconfiguration…it worked.”

The three Paladins and the wayward sentry depart the Sentry Repair Center and proceed to go on a mini-terror spree throughout Galra Central Command.

**History of the Clans**

Records Room, Galra Central Command

“The notations for these Galra troop deployments are …unusual. Don’t you think, Kolivan?”

“Unusual in what way, Keith?”

“The names they assign to them. Edari. Qronga. They seem to be more like names than unit designations.”

Not looking up from the screen his nose is buried in, Meltok gives him a one-word answer. “Clans.”

“Excuse me, Master Chief?”

He pulls back from the screen and turns to face Keith. “Those are the names of the clans responsible for manning those outposts and providing the crews for the fleets. Edari and Qronga are clan names. There are unit designations associated with those troop locations…you’re just not looking hard enough to find them.”

“Why would the Galra use Clan names to note troop deployments?”

Kolivan and Meltok exchange a look. Finally, Meltok sighs. “Fine.”

Meltok walks over to Keith, puts his arm around his shoulder, and turns the young Paladin’s chair so that it faces him. “Time for a lesson on Galra social structure. Sit there and listen carefully please.”

“Why do I sense an Elder moment coming on?”

Meltok crosses his arms, gives Keith a hard stare, and doesn’t say a word.

“Be respectful of one’s Elders. Got it. My apologies, Master Chief. I’m listening.”

“Good. Pay attention, this is important.”

“Long before the Galra became a space-faring race, there were twelve tribes on Diabazaal. Warfare between the tribes was constant and commonplace. The wars continued until only five tribes were left. The Galra and four others. The four other tribes banded together against the Galra, but through a miracle the Galra prevailed in their final battle.”

“Recognizing that if things did not change all life on Diabazaal would cease, the victorious Galra Emperor unified the five remaining tribes together under the umbrella of the Galra. For a millennium, peace reigned over Diabazaal, until the Galra became a space-faring race.”

“Was this one of the thirteen millennia the Archivist spoke about at the Kral Zera?”

“No. He was referring to the thirteen millennia that passed from the time the Galra became a space-faring race and conquered Feyev until the present day. Feyev was the first planet we conquered, and to honor that achievement, Emperor Brogar had the Kral Zera built. He was the first to light the eternal flame at the summit of the pyramid.”

“From a social standpoint, the Galra are segmented into clans. There are a total of six-hundred clans within the race known as the Galra.”

“As a people, the Galra share many traditions and religious practices. These common practices are further refined at the Clan level. Clans stick closely together, and it is commonplace to find Galra military units comprised entirely of one clan. That’s what you are seeing in the military listings you were looking at earlier. The Edari and Qronga are two clans. The Pulfari, Optoma, and Bardolia are three more notable clans.”

“Here, I have a homework assignment for you.” Meltok tosses Keith a data tablet. “Information on all of the Galra Clans are on this tablet. I HIGHLY recommend you do some additional reading on the subject.”

“Within each Clan are any number of houses. A House is an extended family. Under each House are any number of nuclear families. A nuclear family in Galra society is a very close-knit social group. Parents will protect their children to the death. Members of families within a House will treat all members of the House as if they are part of their immediate families. This protective umbrella extends up to the clan level, but not quite to the degree it does at the House and Family levels.”

“The early Galra Emperors recognized the tightness of these familial bonds at the clan level, and that is why not all but most Galra military units are organized at a Clan level.”

“Do you have any questions, Keith?”

“Only one, Master Chief. What is your Clan affiliation?”

“I am proud to say I am of Clan Bardolia, House Dormond.

“While we are talking about Clans, here is some other information that may be of use to you. You’ve seen that the Galra people exhibit a wide diversity of physical features, attributes, and markings. Once you’ve had enough experience, you can sometimes tell the Clan, and possibly the House a Galra comes from just by looking at them. Clans and Houses will often exhibit distinguishing physical features. In my House, it’s the eyes, ears, and body striping that are the most distinguishing.”

“How so?”

“Dormond eyes are yellow, but we carry distinctively colored irises and pupils. In most clans, the irises and pupils are not visible. Dormond ears are slender and pointed. And the cheek stripes you see are just part of the striping marks that extend across our bodies.”

Keith sits back and shakes his head in disappointment. Crossing his arms, he withdraws into himself. Seeing this, Kolivan approaches him and puts his hand on his shoulder.

“What is troubling you, Keith?”

He looks up at the Blade Master and speaks with a shaking voice. “I’m making such a big deal about finding out about my Galra heritage…and I’m displaying none of the markings of a Galra. I’m nothing but a fraud.”

Kolivan pats him on the shoulder yet again. “You are many things Keith, but you are no fraud. You possess the markings of a Galra. You just don’t see them yet.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Half-Galra like yourself do in fact display the physical markings of the House their Galra side is from. It just takes time for them to appear. Many times, they won’t appear until young adulthood. The phase of life you are in right now.”

“So, what are you seeing that I’m not?”

“Keith, you have very distinctive body striping, and your sclera is definitely yellow. You don’t see them because at the present time they are only visible under lighting conditions that have a high presence of ultra-violet rays. Trust me, your Galra features will manifest sooner than you think they will. You already have the canine teeth of a Galra.”

Keith goes silent once again, contemplating Kolivan’s words.

Meltok gets a glint in his eye and decides to have a little fun with him.

“You were on Feyev. The lighting there includes a heavy saturation of UV rays. I’m sure to the Galra who saw you there, your eyes burned a bright yellow and your body striping was VERY noticeable.”

“Is that why so many of the Galra just kept staring at me?”

“Probably. Look at it on the bright side…most Galra females find body striping like yours to be extremely attractive.”

Keith swallows hard. “Um…ok…good to know? Not that I’m interested in pursuing any Galra females at the moment.”

Meltok turns back to his monitor and begins to type. “Um hum…of course you’re not…but I should tell you in Galra society, the females do the pursuing when it comes to finding a mate.” Out of the corner of his eye he sees Keith blush a bright red.

Kolivan, seeing Keith’s reaction as well, decides enough is enough. “Meltok, stop frightening him and get back to work.”

“Yes, Blade Master.” Meltok can’t help but smile at Keith’s discomfort.

**Shenanigans Part II**

Galley 15, Galra Central Command

Making their way to one of the galleys Hunk procures multiple packets of food goo, to which Lance tapes several firecrackers and a detonator. Crouched down behind a preparation table, they trigger the detonator. Food goo flies everywhere, coating the surrounding area, to include the Paladins.

The quartet stand and throw their arms into the air in celebration.

“Awesome!”

“That was sweet!”

“Amazer-beams!”

Experiencing what fun is for the first time, the sentry turns to Lance. “What’s next?”

“Hunk, hand me another packet of food goo.”

Hunk grabs two packets from the pile he’s gathered.

“Halt!”

Startled by the command, Hunk squeezes a packet of food goo so hard it ruptures, spewing the sticky substance all over Lance and Pidge.

“You are being detained for unsafe sustenance preparation!”

The Paladins freeze and smile sheepishly at the two Military Policemen advancing on them. The sentry reaches back into its memory banks and retrieves data showing that encounters with the Military Police often end badly.

He advises the Paladins on the appropriate course of action.

“Scram!”

The quartet scrambles out of the area, closely pursued by the Military Policemen. Hopping onto a hover cart, they speed away.

Knowing they can’t catch them on foot, the Military Policemen stop their pursuit and carry on with their regular patrol.

Hunk cannot say enough good things about their creation.

“This robot is sweet!”

**The Notepad**

Haggar’s Lair, Galra Central Command

Wrapping up a varga’s worth of preliminary diplomatic discussions, Lotor tells Allura he has something to show her.

Doboshes later, Allura and Lotor stand amid a collection of strange objects, gathered from all corners of the Galra Empire over the course of 10,000 decaphoebs.

Allura sighs heavily, seeing the artifacts laid out in front of her. “What is this place?”

“Haggar’s Lair.” Lotor studies the racks of artifacts carefully. It’s the first time he’s been here and like Allura he’s taking it all in.

Allura gazes cautiously at Lotor and responds carefully. “Why would you bring me here.”

It’s a reasonable question, and one that Lotor expected. “Our fathers traveled through the rift into the space between reality. I believe Alfor’s Altean alchemy made that possible.” They both stare back up at the racks, some of which were recently disturbed. “There may be something in here that contains secrets that Haggar was unable to unlock.”

He turns back to Allura, who is still taking in the sights. “But you can.”

“I shouldn’t be here.” Allura starts to walk away. She wants no part of what she believes he’s about to ask her.

Lotor hurries to catch up to her. He takes her hand and asks her to wait and hear him out. He holds onto her hand tightly.

“Allura…Please…I cannot do this without you.”

Allura looks down on the sight of their hands clasped together. She feels a strange sensation in her chest, an unusual shortness of breath. Her heart begins to race, and she flushes slightly.

Her eyes shift slowly from their hand to Lotor’s face and their eyes lock together.

“All right.”

Lotor’s eyes reflect a feeling of gratitude that she finds both sincere…and endearing.

“Thank you.”

Releasing her hand, they turn together towards the racks. “Now, where should we begin?”

The racks contain specimens of creatures native to planets Allura has never heard of. Objects of all shapes and sizes line the shelves, but none jump out at either of them.

Until Allura stumbles on something that catches her attention. The size of a hand-held device, part of it glows, indicating it is internally powered. She picks it up, studies it carefully, and after a moment realizes what it is. She calls out to Lotor and brings it to his attention.

“Look at this.”

Lotor walks towards her and, seeing the device, focuses on it with extreme curiosity.

“It’s an Altean science log.”

She hands the device to Lotor, who activates it out of curiosity. The log displays two screens containing notes and data from research conducted by an Altean scientist. Studying it for several doboshes, his eyes light up as he realizes the notes are from someone familiar to him only through anecdotal stories.

“This was written by my mother, Honerva, thousands of decaphoebs ago.”

His words send shockwaves through Allura. Wide-eyed with surprise she confirms what she just heard. “Your mother was Honerva? THE Honerva that discovered the rift on Diabazaal? Then you’re…half-Altean.”

“Yes. It was something the Galra considered a weakness, but I considered it a strength.”

He begins to flip through the notes displayed on the screen as Allura looks on. “The union between Zarkon and Honerva sparked a technological revolution within the Empire. Even back then, Altean culture was remarkably advanced.”

Allura is fascinated by the bits of research she is seeing by someone she admired as a child. “The kinds of experiments she was conducting…she advanced science by eons.”

“How did Haggar get her hands on this?”

Lotor’s mood turns dark at the mention of Haggar. He stares at the screen as visible hostility spreads across his face. He practically spits out his next words. “She was constantly seeking Altean magical knowledge that she could pervert for her own power. There must have been things that she was unable to access.”

Seeing the intensity of Lotor’s interest in the contents of the science log, Allura decides to look elsewhere, in case there is something else of use in the lair.

“I’m going to continue the search.”

She pats Lotor on the arm as she leaves him to study what she’s discovered.

**Clansmen**

Records Room, Galra Central Command

Waiting on Kolivan to finish some research so he can move on to the next task he’s been assigned, Keith decides to take a moment to clean his Blade. For the first time since his own Trials of Marmora, he studies the iconography of his Blade.

The Blade carries two symbols. The larger of the two is the emblem of the Blade of Marmora. There is a smaller but just as prominently placed icon right below it. He lays the Blade down and stares at it, wracking his brain trying to decipher what it is..

“Something on your Blade that’s troubling you?”

“Yes, Master Chief. This icon, the one below the Blade of Marmora symbol. Do you know what that is?”

Meltok casts a glance at Kolivan who, while not turning away from his screen, gives the Master Chief an imperceptible nod.

“That’s your Clan marker. The icon that represents your Clan.”

Keith can’t contain his excitement. “Wait…I have a Clan marker…I belong to a Clan?!”

“Of course, you do. You are Galra. All Galra are members of a Clan.”

“Even half-breeds like me?”

“Yes, Keith. Half-breeds are, by blood, full-fledged members of their families and are looked after and supported by their parents as if they are purebloods. It’s at the House level where some nuances set in and things get interesting.”

“Remember, half-breeds fall into the servant class in the Galra caste system. They are treated as such within their House. Because a House has many families, there are ruling class and servant class families within it. The ruling class and servant class families within the House interact as their duties require. However, there is also that blood bond between all families in a House that stretches back millennia in some cases, and that bond is strong. If someone outside of the House attacks a House member, the other members of the House close ranks to protect them, regardless of their caste.”

“At the Clan level, things can get complicated for a half-breed. Most half-breeds are members of their Clan in name only.”

“That’s the bad news. The good news is that the Blade of Marmora does not recognize the Galra caste system. Someday, we hope to eliminate it across the entire Empire.”

Meltok studies Keith’s Blade for a moment. “Clan affiliations among the Galra are derived from the maternal lineage. As are House and Family affiliations of course. Want to see something interesting?”

Meltok lays his Blade next to Keith’s and steps back. He watches as Keith’s eyes grow wide with wonder.

“The clan markers are…identical. That means…” He stands erect, legs wobbly, knees knocking, and faces Meltok. “What does it mean?”

“It means that you and I are of the same clan. You are Clan Bardolia, the same as me.”

“Then you…you really are a Clan Elder for me?”

“Yes. That’s why Kolivan asked me to work with you. It’s important you not only learn Galra customs and traditions…you need to live them to truly understand them.”

Keith’s pulse quickens and he can’t get the words out fast enough. “How…how are we related? Are we related?”

Meltok speaks deliberately and chooses his words carefully while looking Keith directly in the eye. “Members of a Clan may be related by blood. If so it could mean there is a common ancestor many generations back…or it may mean there is a common ancestor one generation back. In some cases, it may mean no common blood relation exists at all.”

“For example, people may become members of a House and Clan through a bonding ceremony. When a Galra female takes a life partner, the male typically takes the female’s family name, and in doing so becomes a member of not only her family but her House and Clan as well. In these cases, there is no blood bond between the male and their adopted House and Clan.

“Master Chief, you told me you were Clan Bardolia. Is that your blood clan, or your adopted clan?”

Meltok pauses before answering. “It is my blood clan.”

“But…you said you had a family…didn’t you?”

“It’s complicated and we’re not going to talk about it.” There is an edge in Meltok’s tone, an implied warning to drop the subject.

Keith detects the dodge in Meltok’s answer and decides it’s time to change the subject, but only slightly. “I have an important question, Master Chief. No more games. Do you know my mother?”

It’s the question Meltok knew he would ask and the one he dreaded the most. He’s trapped and he knows it.

Before he can respond, Kolivan steps in and ends the conversation.

“The Bardolia is a large Clan, one of the largest Clans in the Galra Empire. One person cannot possibly know everyone in it. There are many houses within that Clan. It is also possible for Galra females to claim a mate from within their clan that they are not related to by blood, as Meltok stated earlier.”

Kolivan hands Meltok a data tablet. “We need to cross-reference this against information in the database on the Castle of Lions. Would you handle this while Keith and I finish plotting fleet locations in the Kontari sector?”

Meltok gratefully takes the tablet back to his workstation and dives into the task. Keith watches him carefully as he sits at his own workstation and begins work on his next task.

Kolivan was too quick to stop the conversation. They are hiding something.

For now, he will go along with it.

**Shenanigans Part II**

Throne Room, Galra Central Command

The Paladins and their wayward sentry continue to raise havoc across Galra Central Command. They manage to make it to the Throne Room, where they each pose for pictures while seated on the throne of the Galra Emperor. For the last picture the sentry sits on the Throne, arms crossed across his chest, legs crossed, in a position of power. For a mere sentry, this is a lofty position indeed. Lance and Hunk take up positions as his bodyguards as Pidge snaps the picture.

“That’s it! Hold that pose. The camera loves you, baby!”

“Halt!”

The fun is sharply interrupted by the reappearance of the two Military Policemen.

“You are being detained for defilement of Royal Property! Get that droid off the throne!”

“Scram!”

The sentry bolts out of the throne room, with the Paladins close behind.

The Military Police continue to give chase.

“Get back here! This isn’t a game!”

**Days of Future Passed**

Records Room, Galra Central Command

Their work in the Records Room complete, Meltok approaches Kolivan to ask a favor.

“With your permission, Blade Master. I’d like to spend some time…researching that one matter I’ve been working on. I may never get this chance again.”

Kolivan immediately nods his consent. “Of course. I know how important this is to you. I must return to the Castle with Coran and deal with a few matters.”

Keith listens to the conversation with great interest. “Is there anything I can help you with, Master Chief? I’ve got time, and if two of us look for something we’ll find it a lot faster.”

Meltok gives Kolivan a somber look. “I’ve got this, Blade Master.” He turns to Keith. “I appreciate the offer Keith, and I am happy to accept.”

Kolivan departs as the two clansmen sit at their workstations.

“So, what are we looking for?”

Meltok stares at the monitor, refusing to make eye contact with Keith. “It’s not what we are looking for. It’s who we are looking for.” He enters a search command into the console and waits for the results to return.

“Ok…who are we looking for?”

Meltok continues to stare at his screen in silence. Almost a full dobosh passes before the Master Chief responds to Keith’s question. “My family.”

The shock reverberates through Keith’s body. “Wha…you too?”

“Yes. It seems you and I have a bit more in common than you thought we did…” The Master Chief stares forlornly at the screen as the results of his initial search yields no results.

Recovering his wits, Keith places his hand on Meltok’s arm as a sign of support. “It would be really helpful if you told me what happened to them. If it’s not too…painful.”

Meltok closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them, his voice is monotone as he continues to stare at the screen. “No, I’ll tell you.”

“I was a member of the Galra military, had been for about ninety decaphoebs. I was the senior non-commissioned officer stationed with a planetary occupation force in the Akaro sector. Planet Xenelek. Because it was a long-term assignment, we were allowed to bring our families with us. It helped that my life partner was also in the military so it was easy for us all to be stationed there.”

“Her name was…her name is Miara. The most beautiful woman I ever laid eyes on. We have four children. Brenal, our oldest son. Twin daughters Petra and Liara. As beautiful as their mother. Domai, my youngest son. So much like me it is terrifying. I guess that’s why Domai and I were always arguing with each other.”

“We served under the command of then Prince Lotor. That’s how I know him. That’s how he knows me. He was a smooth talker then, just as he is now. But he was my commanding officer and I trusted him.”

“Ours was a relatively small garrison as occupation forces go. Despite our small numbers, we were a well-honed group of fighters. And since we were all members of the same House and our families were with us, we had the motivating need to protect them driving us.”

“Being on the edge of the expanse, we were always in danger of raids from any quarter. One day we were attacked in force by a group of raiders that outnumbered us ten to one. Our Commander radioed back to Prince Lotor’s headquarters for emergency reinforcements, but none came. We were told to fend for ourselves. No help was coming.”

“The situation became desperate. Civilian lives were threatened. Not only our families, but the indigenous civilians as well. We managed to evacuate them to safety, but we knew if we didn’t take action against the raiders they would be threatened again.”

“I took a strike force consisting of twenty soldiers to set a trap for our invaders. Brenal was part of that group. He was about your age. He was a genius with military strategy and was excellent when it came to thinking four moves ahead of everyone else. We set a trap for the leaders of the raiders, hoping if we cut off the head of the dragon, the body would die. Or at least leave the planet.”

“To make a long story short, we took out the leaders and caused enough casualties among the rest of the raiders that they had no further interest in staying. We only suffered one casualty.”

The hard-nosed Master Chief, still refusing to make eye contact with Keith, begins to tear up. “Brenal. He saved the mission when things were about to go horribly wrong. He saved my life. No, he saved the whole planet.” He points to the scar on his cheek. “I got this scar in that battle. It reminds me every day of my greatest failure as a father.”

“The Galra abandoned Xenelek shortly after the battle. They said it no longer had any value to the Empire. I was furious. My son gave his life to save that planet for the Empire, only for the Empire to say that his sacrifice was meaningless. They stripped away my dead son’s honor.”

“Our entire garrison was transferred to Corillia, another planet where the occupation force was from our Clan. My younger sister, a Lieutenant in the military, was also stationed there. I hoped her presence might help us heal as a family. She and Miara were good friends. But the damage had already been done, and nothing was going to heal our wounds.”

“I became completely disillusioned with the Empire. While I was on Corillia my sister and I met Kolivan. He recruited us both into the Blade of Marmora. At first I didn’t tell Miara. I wasn’t sure how she was going to take it.”

“That was a mistake. She found out anyway. She was against me joining the Blades. She said it would permanently rip our family apart. She already blamed me for Brenal’s death. In her eyes, my joining the Blade of Marmora and not telling her was the final straw. She viewed my actions as a betrayal, a breaking of trust between us.”

“She resigned from the military while I was out on a Blade mission. She took our children and left. When I returned to Corillia they were gone. I never saw them again.” He pauses and looks forlornly at the floor. "She left a message for me. She told me that she could not go on living with someone who was not honest with her. She stopped short of stating that I lacked honor, but the implication was clearly there in that message. But the cruelest cut of all was that she gave my blood family name back to me."

Bitterness drips from the tone of his voice. “I blamed Lotor for abandoning Xenelek. I blamed Lotor for Miara leaving with the children…told him that to his face. It wasn’t until decaphoebs later that I discovered through my contact in Galra Central Command that any relief force sent to Xenelek would not have made it in time. Lotor had told us the truth when he said we were on our own. Not out of spite, or contempt, or a lack of caring. There was no one to send. Still, that experienced colored my view of Lotor, and still does to this very day.”

He finally turns towards Keith, his eyes rimmed by an uncharacteristic redness. “And that, my young protégé, is my whole sad tale.”

Keith looks his Elder straight in the eye and smiles confidently. “Let’s see what we can find. The least I can do is help one of my clansmen find his family.”

**Shenanigans Part IV**

Fighter Bay 7, Galra Central Command

The rambunctious Paladins and their droid escort manage to shake the Military Policemen yet again. This time they make it to one of the fighter Hangar Bays. From the upper level, they use disconnected arms and legs from sentries on their way to the Sentry Repair Center as golf clubs and drive round metallic globes into the fighter line.

“Hey Hunk…watch me drop this into the cockpit of the third fighter from the left.”

“I’ll put twenty credits on you missing the shot.”

Incredulous, Lance turns to the sentry. “Since when do droids carry credits?”

“We don’t. But I will as soon as you miss that shot.”

Flustered, Lance turns to Pidge. “Ok, which one of you put the trash-talk routine into this thing?”

Pidge points to Hunk. “That would be the big guy.”

Before Lance can say anything, Hunk cuts him off. “Look dude, are you taking the shot or not?”

Lance lines up his shot and raises his makeshift club over his head.

“Halt!”

Before he can follow through on his swing, the Military Policemen catch up with them yet again.

“You are being detained for improper usage of droid extremities! What you are doing is just…wrong!”

Tossing spare droid parts down as hazards, they dodge the Military Policemen for a third time.

\---------------

Corridor outside Fighter Bay 7, Galra Central Command

Undaunted and on the trail of the lawbreakers, the Military Policemen break out their rifles and patrol the area where the quartet of troublemakers was last seen. Rather than engage in another fruitless foot chase the next time they see the Paladins, they will stun them with their rifles.

So they think. They fail to notice Lance and Hunk sneaking up on them until the very last tick.

Their arms and legs bound by their sides using flexible hose, the Military Policemen are loaded onto hover sleds. One sled is set at either end of a long corridor. Lance mounts the shoulders of one Military Policeman, while the sentry mounts the shoulders of the other. Pidge drives Lance’s sled, while Hunk drives the sentry’s sled.

The sleds begin a mad dash towards one another. No one knows for certain, but this is probably the first known occurrence of the game of chicken every conducted on Galra Central Command.

As the sleds gain speed, Lance raises his hands above his head. “Razzle dazzle!”

Not to be outdone, the sentry points towards Lance and call back to Hunk. “Ramming speed!”

The crash is hard, and the crash is loud. Fortunately, no one is seriously injured. Except for Lance. Or more precisely, Lance’s pride.

Cut loose from their bonds by the sentry, the Military Policemen stand with the droid and laugh, while Pidge checks on the Blue Paladin.

Hunk pleads for leniency from the Military Policemen. “You’re not going to arrest us, are you?”

The Military Policemen look at each other and begin to laugh again. “We could detain you on any one of 500 charges, to include sheet idiocy, but…what’s the fun in that? Do you have any idea how BORING our job is? Chasing you four knuckleheads around is the most fun we’ve had in decaphoebs!”

\---------------

Galley 15, Galra Central Command

A short time later, Hunk presents the Military Policemen, Pidge, and Lance with frozen treats he concocted in Galley 15.

As the treats are consumed, the sentry makes a presentation to the Paladins. “So there are no hard feelings, I made you these.” They are pendants on which are mounted a scaled replica of the head of a sentry droid.

Sporting a black eye and multiple contusions on his forehead, Lance holds his up and admires it. “So worth it.”

**Compass Stone**

Haggar’s Lair, Galra Central Command

Two vargas after the discovery of the Altean science log, Lotor nears the completion of his review. The grim look on his face as he stares at the notes on the screen belie the concern he is feeling. It raises a suspicion in his mind that he has no interest in entertaining, and he pushes it aside.

“Lotor, what’s the matter.”

“By the end of these logs, it’s like they’re written by a different person. She’s frantic, paranoid, erratic. Her reason and intellect are gone, replaced by fear and paranoia.”

Allura decides it’s time to voice a suspicion of her own. “Lotor, have you ever wondered…what if Honerva became corrupted the same way Zarkon did? Perhaps she didn’t die. What if she and Haggar are the same…”

The anger in his voice is palpable and very real. “That witch is NOT my mother.” The look in his eyes tells Allura to drop the subject, and she reluctantly does so. His denial all but confirms her suspicion that Haggar is in fact his mother.

He approaches the shelves of artifacts again. He places one hand on a wall, the other on his hip as he leans in to contemplate their next step.

“There must be something else in this room, something we missed.”

“I’ve looked all over. I can’t find anything pertaining to Altean alchemy.”

A thought strikes Lotor. “Perhaps we are not using all the tools at our disposal.”

He looks Allura in the eye and speaks calmly. “Close your eyes and just…let yourself feel the energy around you.”

Seeing no harm in his request, Allura closes her eyes and concentrates on her surroundings. In her mind she makes her way slowly and methodically up and down the rack of artifacts.

“See if any of these objects call out to you.”

She stops when she detects something with an unusual energy signature. Something that draws her to it.

Opening her eyes, she moves to a shelf at eye level, pushes a small box aside, and locates the artifact. Slightly larger than her palm and roughly in the shape of a broad arrowhead, it contains glowing teal markings.

“I was drawn to this.” She picks it up and shows it to Lotor.

The Emperor bends down and examines it closely. He recognizes the markings.

“Wait a tick. I know I’ve seen something about this before.”

He activates his wrist device and searches through the data he has stored on it. Finally, he locates what he’s looking for and pulls up an image on the screen. “Here!”

“These are ancient ruins from an Altean outpost now beneath the seas of Planet Entuk. There I found a mosaic depicting Altean explorers following a map projected from what they called a “compass stone”. Supposedly it can lead to the magical realm of Oriande, which houses the secrets of Altean alchemy.”

“Oriande? I thought that was a folk tale.”

Lotor shuts down his wrist device and turns to Allura. She can tell by looking at him that he is being quite serious.

“My research has led me to believe it is quite real.”

They both turn to the compass stone and re-examine it. “We need to get this stone working.”

**Shenanigans Part V**

Robeast Launch Bay, Galra Central Command

Gaining entrance to what would otherwise be a restricted area (thanks to the Military Policemen), the Paladins stand in an observation platform next to the Robeast launch tube. Hunk leans down and activates a communications link.

“Are you sure about this?”

Strapped to the front of a Robeast coffin, the sentry makes it very clear he is more than sure about this. “We’ve been over this already. Let’s light this candle. Whooooooo!”

“Do you think Lotor would mind us firing the Robeast coffin?”

Pidge shrugs her shoulders at Hunk’s question, an ice pop still hanging out of her mouth.

The sentry grows impatient. “Come on, I’ve always wanted to see the stars.”

That’s all Lance needed to hear. “Aaaaand now you will.” He slams his hand down on the launch button.

The engines on the giant Robeast coffin ignite and it begins to move down the launch tube. The sentry reaches out to bid is new friends goodbye.

“Later, pala-dudes! Wheeeeee!”

The coffin exits the launch tube as it heads for an unknown destination. Behind it streams a brightly colored contrail, brighter and more vibrant than any fireworks display any of them have ever seen. Standing at the observation window, Pidge is awestruck.

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Lance presses his hands and face up against the glass. “He’s my hero.”

Following Hunk’s lead, the Paladins render a formal salute to the sentry. Behind them, the Military Policemen give the Galra salute.

**The Map**

Haggar’s Lair, Galra Central Command

A varga later, Allura is still working on the riddle of the Compass Stone. Pulling hard and grunting, she tries to pry it apart. “It won’t open.”

Frustrated, she holds it out in her hand to Lotor. He cups his hands around Allura’s. One on top of the stone sitting in her palm, one on the back of the hand cradling the stone.

He speaks to her reassuringly. There is something else in his voice. He speaks to her as someone who believes in her powers. “You just have to concentrate. I know you have the power within.”

Lotor may believe in her, but Allura doesn’t believe in herself. She pulls her hand away from Lotor and pouts.

“What if I don’t? My father had an ability few Alteans possessed. Coran doesn’t have it. Honerva didn’t have it.” She sighs heavily and turns away from Lotor, ashamed of her uncertainty. “The truth is, I may not have his abilities either.”

Lotor refuses to give up on her. “You must. There must be a way to carry on the tradition of Altean alchemy.”

Allura still refuses to look at him. “That tradition died along with my planet 10,000 decaphoebs ago.” Tears form in the corners of her eyes as she contemplates her perceived shortcomings. “I’ll never be the alchemist my father was.”

“Allura. Try. Concentrate. I know you have it in you.”

Still holding the compass stone, and despite her self-doubt, she closes her eyes and concentrates. The compass stone begins to glow. Gradually at first, then more rapidly. The intensity of the glow increases until a blinding white light fills the lair.

As the light abates, a star map is displayed. At the center of the star map is the symbol for a planet.

Lotor stares in wonder and amazement at the star map. “Allura…you’ve done it!”

Allura, smiling broadly and gazing in amazement at the star map, fixes her gaze on the planet in the center. “Is that…?”

The word flows smoothly off his tongue.

“Oriande.”

**The Samoan**

Galley 15, Galra Central Command

Having bid adieu to their robot friend, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance adjourn to the Galley and relax for a few moments. Pidge decides to check on Lance to see if he’s over his homesickness.

“So, Lance, is this the type of stuff you pulled on your siblings?”

“Nah, this is way cooler. What about you, Hunk. Any brothers or sisters to punk? Pidge and I were talking out our siblings earlier.”

Not affected by homesickness as badly as Lance, his feet up on the table, Hunk readily talks about his family. “I have one older sister. And she’s way smarter than me. I used to try to pull stuff over on her. It always backfired.”

Pidge found out about Lance’s family earlier. Now it’s time she pries a bit into Hunk’s. “What about your family Hunk? Who are they?”

“Ok, family rundown it is? Cool, I’ll play. I have Mom and Dad of course. Their names are Mom and Dad.”

“Wow, that’s original.”

“Yeah, right? I never called them by their real names and I’m not about to start. I may be on the other side of the universe, but Mom will find out if I do it and she won’t be happy.” Hunk gives Lance a quick wink. “I have one sister, Connie. She’s married to Peter, and they have two boys, Ricky and Rodney. My Uncle Filo and Aunt Rose live just up the street from us. Uncle Filo and Dad run a machine shop together.”

“Dad’s a big burly guy but Mom totally runs the house. She’s not afraid of anyone or anything. My brother-in-law is a big man as well, but Connie…yeah, she learned how to run a household from Mom, so…”

“My nephews…man those two are going to be big boys themselves. In a lot of ways, they are like my little brothers. We’re always hanging out together.”

“I got my love for all things mechanical from Dad. I used to hang around with him and liked to “help” him. He figured if I wanted to help he would put me to work. He did. By the time I was ten I was working in the shop with him and Uncle Filo…when school didn’t get in the way.”

“Mom and Connie made sure I didn’t neglect my schoolwork. Sis stayed after me every day. She and Mom had a way of getting me to do well in school. Every time I did well, I was rewarded with my favorite desserts.”

“I got my love for cooking from Mom, Aunt Rose, and Connie. Mom and Aunt Rose taught me most of their recipes, and Connie taught me how to be innovative and try new things out. Uncle Filo was a pretty mean chef in his own right.”

“Sounds like you all spent a lot of time around the dinner table.”

Calm and collected during his explanation, his voice cracks just a bit and becomes shaky. “We did. That’s where we worked out family squabbles, where we kept up with what each of us were doing. It’s where the heart of my family lies.”

Lance, having just gone through this, reaches out to him. “You’ll see them again soon, big guy.”

“I know. I miss them, but I keep reminding myself how sweet it will be to see them again.”

Sitting between her teammates, Pidge looks from one to another, a smile on her face from ear to ear. “You know, I’ll say one thing…the members of Team PLUNK have pretty neat families.”

“Team PLUNK, huh?”

Hunk laughs. “I like it. Works for me!”

**Revelation Part 1**

Hangar Bay Twelve, Galra Central Command

Their mission to Galra Central Command complete, Kolivan and Meltok prepare to take their leave of Emperor Lotor and the Paladins.

“Your Majesty, thank for your hospitality. It was an honor to be here.”

“It was an honor to have you, Kolivan. I hope this heralds a new beginning where the Empire and the Blade of Marmora work together.”

“I hope for that as well. This was a good first step. In my absence, Keith will represent the Blade of Marmora to the Empire, in addition to his duties as the Black Paladin of Voltron.”

“Thank you. I can’t think of a finer representative.”

Lotor then turns to the Master Chief. “Did you find the information you were looking for, Meltok?”

“I found some possible leads. Some are very promising. For now, I must be satisfied with a renewed sense of hope that I’ll find them.”

“What happened on Xenelek was most unfortunate and highly regrettable. I made some choices I wish I had the chance to do over again. Had I repositioned forces sooner, they would have been in position to support the garrison. For that failure, I take full responsibility, and I am truly sorry. Your son died a hero and saved his people.”

Lotor extends his hand to Meltok. “I hope you find them.”

Meltok looks at the hand thoughtfully, then takes it, offering a traditional Galra parting. “Thank you. Peace and long life to you, Your Majesty.”

“And to you, Meltok Uhler of House Dormond.”

Meltok turns to Keith. “My work with you as your Clan Elder is done. I leave you in Kolivan’s capable hands now. There are things I must attend to.”

While he is not surprised to hear him say that, Keith is sad to see him go. “Will I see you again, Master Chief.”

“I hope so, Keith, but that is for the Supreme Spirit to decide. You have a search of your own to complete. Do not lose sight of what you need to do. You are closer to finding what you seek than you believe you are. I wish I had all the answers you need to make that search easier. I tell you honestly that I don’t. Stay strong.”

“I will. You as well. I hope you find your family.”

Keith extends his hand. “Peace and long life to you, Meltok Uhler of House Dormond”

Meltok takes his hand and grips it tightly. “And to you, Keith Uhler of House Dormond.”

Breaking their grasp, Meltok boards the shuttle with Kolivan.

\---------------

Five doboshes later, Keith and Lotor watch the shuttle depart. As they do, Lotor shares an observation with Keith.

“I don’t mean to intrude on a private matter, but it was interesting to hear that you and Meltok are of the same House in the same Clan. How exactly are the two of you related?”

Keith freezes in place. His jaw drops open and his eyes go wide as he replays their parting words. ‘ _He addressed me as Keith Uhler of House Dormond!_ ’. A million thoughts race through his head at once, but two quickly stand out above all the others. _‘Clan, House, and Family lineage is traced through the maternal line. He has a younger sister. For the love of…how could I be so DENSE??’_

Staring after the shuttle as it fades in the distance he places his hands on the glass of the observation deck. Still reeling, he can muster only two words.

“Uncle Meltok?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously considered breaking this chapter into two parts because of its length, but that would have interrupted the flow of the chapter. This covered a lot of ground when it comes to Galra clan and family structure. I also buried a little hint about Galra dating rituals...did you catch it?
> 
> Thank you for reading this chapter!


	9. White Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor and Allura convince the Paladins to make the dangerous trip to Oriande. Things begin to warm between the Galra Emperor and the Altean Princess as Lotor lets his hair down (yes, I went there) and begins to open up to Allura. Lance and Keith have an unusual conversation while Acxa deals with feisty team members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon-compliant with the S5 episode in terms of flow, canon divergence in terms of characters and additional scenes.

**Odyssey**

Lotor’s’ Private Study, Galra Central Command

The Paladins, Coran, and Prince Lotor gather in Lotor’s private study on Galra Central Command so that Allura and Lotor may share what they’ve learned from their expedition into Haggar’s lair.

Holding the Compass Stone and telling the Paladins of its discovery and purpose, Allura prepares to field questions from the skeptical team. Pidge is the first to voice her wariness.

“So, this magic rock is gonna guide us to a mysterious planet?”

“A land known as Oriande.”

The mention of Oriande draws a guffaw from Coran. “I’m afraid someone’s been pulling your wimble, Emperor Lotor. Oriande is just an Altean folktale. It doesn’t actually exist.”

“That’s what I thought, Coran, but now I have a feeling it is quite real.”

“It is the birthplace of all Altean alchemy. The place where King Alfor learned the secrets that helped him create Voltron and where Allura will master those same secrets so that my ships may enter the Quintessence field.”

“And what makes you the authority on crazy Altean nonsense?” Just as skeptical as Pidge, Lance points a thumb at Coran. “Coran knows more magic made-up gobbledygook than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you, Lance.” Coran turns back to Lotor, hands on hips. “And I can assure you, King Alfor never mentioned anything to me about traveling to Oriande.”

“In all likelihood, he kept it a secret from everyone. I have been researching Oriande for centuries, hoping to learn more about my Altean ancestry. Over time, I’ve managed to gather evidence from all over the universe that hinted at its existence. Now, thanks to Princess Allura, I will finally gaze upon its magnificence with my own eyes.”

Hunk raises his hand and brings the conversation back to reality. “Uh, aren’t you a little busy running your Empire to take a magical vacation?”

“In order to transition the Galra Empire to a peaceful existence, I need to open up a pathway to the Quintessence field. Once my people have access to unlimited energy, the old ways of the Empire will be behind them.”

Allura holds the Compass Stone in her outstretched hand. “If this voyage is successful, the universe will finally be on the path to peace.”

She smiles warmly at Lotor, who returns the smile just as affectionately.

Keith, silent during the entire conversation, finally weighs in. “Well, let’s get to the Castle and find out where we’re going.”

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

Standing under the giant Balmeran crystal that powers the Castle of Lions, Allura holds the Compass Stone out in front of her. The Balmeran crystal glows brightly for a dobosh before a star map is projected around them.

Glowing a bright turquoise, the Compass Stone projects a beam that creates an overlay on the star map. Shining brighter than the other stars and planets, the symbol representing Oriande is clearly displayed.

“There, between those three celestial bodies. That’s where we’re headed.”

Coran stares at long and hard at the projected location, then at the surrounding space and celestial bodies. He doesn’t like what he sees and comes to a conclusion he likes even less.

“Wait a tick, Princess. That’s the Petrulian Zone.”

“The what now?”

“It’s a dangerous area, Lance. The Petrulian Zone is a mysterious part of space where ships enter and are never heard from again.”

Coran turns from the map and faces Allura. He desperately wants to talk her out of going there because of the danger. “Princess, that area has been deemed unsafe to navigate for ages.”

Lotor however has a different viewpoint. “The perfect place to hide a magical world.”

Pidge is still skeptical. “Or to crash and die.”

Allura is determined to go through with the mission and nothing is stopping her. She stares intently at the star map. “We will approach with caution. Prepare our course, Coran.”

Coran emits a long sigh, his shoulders slumping. He knows there is no way to talk her out of going. “Yes, Princess.”

The Petrulian Zone

A wormhole opens and the Castle of Lions emerges.

A deadly serious Coran reads out the flight status for the team assembled on the Bridge. “We’re approaching the Petrulian Zone.”

Staring into the blackness of space ahead of them, Keith sees a series of large, randomly distributed objects. “What’s that up ahead? An asteroid belt?”

Coran does not remove his eyes from the screen. “No. It’s a graveyard. A graveyard of ships.”

Arrayed in front of them are the derelict remains of thousands of space vehicles from most of the space-faring races in the known universe. Coran steers the Castle into it and slowly navigates his way through as if it were a minefield.

Staring at the wrecks as the Castle cautiously passes them, Hunk barely speaks above a whisper. “What caused them all to lose power?”

Coran speaks in a mysterious voice. “No one knows.”

Scanning her instruments, Pidge can’t believe what her instrument readings indicate. Completing a second check, she confirms what she’s seeing. “I think we just found out.”

Arriving at the inner edge of the graveyard of ships, the team finds something that, according to the laws of physics should not exist. The object, in the form of an inverted funnel, glows a bright, fluorescent white.

Everyone on the Bridge is awestruck by the sight. Lotor, not one to be easily spooked by the unknown, puts on his game face as if he were about to go into battle. Allura, gritting her teeth, wears a similar expression.

“Pidge, Is that some kind of super massive star?”

“No, Lance. Unbelievable! It’s a white hole!”

Hunk, following along at his workstation reviewing his own readings, smiles as he stares at the white hole with wonder. “Whoa! Take that, theoretical physics!”

“Wait, what’s a white hole?” Like the others, Lance does his best to process what he is seeing.

“Well, unlike a black hole, which has massive gravity that sucks everything in, a white hole is an opposite body that shoots massive amounts of energy out from an unknown source. Hunk, what are your readings telling you?”

“It’s blasting this whole area with crazy high radiation.”

“All that energy must’ve fried those ships’ systems.”

Hunk doesn’t believe they have a full picture behind what they are seeing. “That may be, Keith, but something else destroyed these ships. That’s blast damage we’re seeing. Radiation won’t split ships apart like that.”

Lotor goes silent as he contemplates the situation. He starts mumbling something that he discovered on one of his archaeological field expeditions.

_“The wise stand back from the fire, fools are burned on the pyre. The mystic becomes one with the flame, the embers and he are the same.”_

Lance, overhearing Lotor’s mumbling, tries to get a dig in. “Is that, like, a song you’re working on? Because it sucks.”

Allura shoots Lance a stern look while Lotor keeps his gaze on the white hole. “It’s a poem by an ancient Altean alchemist. I discovered it carved next to a cave painting of a fiery sphere. I never realized until now that it describes the route to Oriande.”

He pivots to face Allura. “We must go into the white hole.”

Allura fixes her gaze on the Galra Emperor, concern clearly etched on her face. This is not something she is comfortable with.

Hunk jumps in before Allura can respond. “Are you guys serious? We’re navigating by cave poetry now?”

Pidge continues to question the logic of the situation. “How are we supposed to go through the white hole? If we get any closer, we’re gonna end up like those dead ships out there.”

Allura takes a deep breath and makes up her mind. Her reticence is replaced by determination. She is too close to Oriande to back away now.

“We wormhole inside.”

Coran is horrified. “Princess, no!”

A shocked Keith turns to face her as Allura continues her thought. “Voltron can withstand forces other ships cannot.”

Allura may have overcome her reticence, but Keith has not. “Are you sure? This could end very badly for all of us.”

“Keith, if this is the home of Altean alchemy, then Voltron will make it through.”

“And what if it’s just another nuclear explosion in space? Then we’re toast.”

Coran continues his effort to dissuade Allura. “Princess, Lance is right. I think you’ve taken this quest far enough.” He glares at the Galra Emperor over his shoulder. “Lotor is sending you to your doom.”

Lotor finds Coran’s objections somewhat humorous, chuckling slightly in his response. “Quite the opposite. It’s a mission of life discovery.”

Allura pleads with the Paladins to go along with what she and Lotor are proposing. “Believe me, I would never ask any of you to do this if I didn’t know…if I didn’t feel in my heart that it is true. I belong here.”

Collectively the group turns and gazes out the forward screen at the sight of the white hole and the debris of the ship junkyard swirling around it.

**The Petrulian Zone**

The White Hole, Petrulian Zone

Checking her instruments twenty doboshes later, Pidge calls for Coran to stop the forward progress of the Castle of Lions. “This is as far as we can go. Any further and we’ll be affected by the Petrulian Zone’s radiation.”

Exiting the Castle of Lions and forming Voltron, the team makes for the White Hole.

“All right, Coran. Open up a wormhole.”

As Coran responds to Keith’s command and proceeds to open a wormhole, Lance sighs heavily and mutters to himself over the open command link. “Well, let’s fly into the cosmic death storm.”

The wormhole opens, and Voltron quickly moves through it. They emerge into a maelstrom. Debris swirls around them, caught up in the currents and eddies inside the white hole. Keith and the others strain against their controls to maintain their position inside it.

“We’re being blasted backward! Hunk, Allura, full power to thrusters!”

Hunk and Allura slam their controls forward, allowing Voltron’s thrusters to burn at maximum output.

“We’re making progress!”

The team gradually moves toward the bright center of the white hole. Detecting movement in the center, Keith slows Voltron’s progress while trying to determine what they are seeing.

What he sees is frightening.

Two eyes, then a broad nose, emerge from the swirling center of the white hole. The misty veil shrouding the rest of the face pulls back, revealing the full image of the entity they are facing.

“Is that…a lion?”

As if in response to Lance’s question, the White Lion roars, emitting a large beam of energy from its mouth. The beam slams into Voltron, sending the giant robot into a head-over-heels backwards tumble.

Allura is perplexed. Voltron has made no hostile moves against the White Lion or the White Hole. “Why is it attacking us?”

Keith isn’t waiting around to find answers. “Fire lasers!”

Lance and Pidge simultaneously point their lasers at the White Lion and fire massive blasts. The beams pass through the White Lion, with no adverse effect to it.

“There’s nothing to hit!”

In response to their attack, the White Lion fires another energy beam at Voltron, this one more powerful than the last. Keith raises the shield, and it blocks the beam for the moment.

The cries of the Paladins as they struggle against the White Lion’s attack are monitored on the Castle of Lions by Coran and Lotor. Coran confronts Lotor in a panic. “What have you done?!”

Coran suddenly pulls back in surprise. He stares intensely at Lotor. “Wait, what’s happening to your face?”

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with my face?”

“You have Altean marks. And they’re glowing!”

Lotor turns his eyes to his cheek to determine as best he can what is happening. He detects the glow coming from them and puts a hand to his face to touch them.

“The Mark of the Chosen.”

Coran’s responds in a hoarse whisper. “What?”

Thinking for a moment, Lotor’s eyes fly wide open as he realizes the full extent of the danger facing the Paladins. A high degree of urgency in his voice, he calls out to the Paladins over the open command link.

“You need to get out of there! That thing is a guardian! It will only allow worthy Alteans through!”

Lance is less than pleased. “Oh, thanks for the tip!”

Hearing Lotor’s admonition, Keith immediately puts Voltron into full retreat. “Pull back!”

The White Lion isn’t quite through with Voltron. As Voltron flees, the White Lion fires another burst of energy. Anticipating the attack, Keith moves Voltron out of the way. He quickly discovers that shot was not aimed at them. This time, the White Lion has a different target in mind.

The beam shoots past Voltron, out of the White Hole, and straight for the Castle of Lions. It strikes the protective shielding of the Castle and is deflected…for a moment. The beam is intense enough, and lasts long enough, to take down the protective barrier and fry the electrical system of the Castle.

Lotor looks on helplessly as Coran does his best to maintain control of the Castle of Lions. “All systems shutting down! Our stabilizers aren’t working! We’re listing into the graveyard!”

The Castle now floats helplessly, a derelict ship in a graveyard of derelict ships.

Through the gap blasted into the side of the white hole, the Paladins hear Coran’s cries and see the Castle of Lions floating helplessly.

“Keith, we must get back to the Castle!”

Voltron makes for the Castle at full speed. And it is the recipient of one more ‘present’ from the White Lion. As it Exits the white hole, Voltron is struck in the back by a massive energy beam. One that is powerful enough to separate the Lions and short out their electrical systems.

The Lions float helplessly towards the Castle of Lions as the White Lion closes the gap in the white hole and resumes its guard post.

As the Blue Lion slams into space debris, Pidge works frantically to power up her Green Lion and calls out to Lance. “I can’t control my Lion!”

“Me neither. I’ve lost power.”

“Unhhh! I’m dead in the water!”

Keith reaches out to the Paladins and tries to calm everyone’s frayed nerves. “I think we all are, Pidge.”

Hunk, finished with his own diagnostic on the Yellow Lion, concurs. “These Lions aren’t going anywhere.”

“Everyone prepare for an EVA. Rendezvous back at the Castle.” As Keith steps out of his pilot’s chair and makes for the exit of the Black Lion, his mind is racing. “We need to figure this out.”

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

The Paladins enter a darkened Bridge. All power is out, save for the faint glow of the Balmeran crystal that provides the only illumination in the room. As they approach Coran, emergency lights flicker, and additional lighting comes online.

“I’ve managed to restore auxiliary power with help from the Emperor, but it won’t last long. If we don’t get the Castle up and running within the next quintant, we’ll be out of oxygen.”

Lance, still not fond of the Emperor, suggests a less-than-perfect way to how to conserve air. “Maybe we can decrease our breathers by one…” He pauses as he notices a change in Lotor’s appearance.

The same change noticed by Hunk and the other Paladins.

“Uh, what’s up with your face?”

“Yeah, and if this is the home of Altean alchemy, why can’t Voltron get in?” Pidge figures that Lotor, having done all the research he has on Altean alchemy, would know the answers to her questions.

As it turns out…he does.

There is a grim tone in his voice. “I’m sorry to put us in this position, but I do know the answer. Princess, if you would remove your helmet please. Everyone, look at Allura.”

The team turns to look towards the Princess. The same glowing marks present on Lotor’s face are present on Allura’s.

The team lets out a collective gasp as Allura, noticing the glow coming from her cheeks, touches her face in surprise.

“Whoa! What’s happening?”

“I…I don’t know, Pidge.” Allura, her eyes wide and fixed on Lotor, tentatively approaches him. Lotor returns her gaze with a smile.

“Lotor…you have them too.”

“It’s called the Mark of the Chosen. They are mentioned in some of the Oriande legends. They indicate those worthy of entering the realm.”

Keith looks at Coran, puzzled. “Wait. Why aren’t Coran’s marks glowing?”

“There are different types of Alteans. Allura possesses a deep connection to ancient Altean energy. It enables her to operate the teleduv and change her shape and size. Her father had greater alchemic understanding than any before him. Others are less magical.” Lotor looks Coran in the eye. “No offense.”

Despite the attempt at not making it sound like a putdown, that’s exactly how Coran takes it. He glares back hard at Lotor.

“So, what do we do now?”

“It’s simple, Hunk. Allura and I need to enter the white hole alone.”

Lance and Coran go apoplectic at the suggestion.

“WHAT?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT! What about that monster?!”

“The monster is a guard keeping the unworthy out. It won’t hurt us.”

Lance is just not buying the explanation. “Yeah, and before you thought it wasn’t going to hurt us!”

“Allura, how are you going to get there? We’re stuck.”

“The personal transport crafts should still work, Pidge. We can use them.”

Coran continues to plead with the Princess to change her mind. He approaches and puts his hands on her shoulders. “Allura, please! It’s too dangerous!”

She gently grasps his wrists and removes his hands while trying to assuage his fears. “Coran, I must gain some kind of alchemic knowledge in Oriande, both to save our own lives and bring peace to the universe.”

Seeing Coran’s expression soften, Lance goes after him. “Coran, don’t tell me you’re going to cave in on this!”

Keith comes to Allura’s defense. “Lance, she’s right.” Allura turns to face Lance as Keith talks the Blue Paladin down off the emotional ledge he’s put himself on. “The ship is stuck unless Allura can somehow get it restarted.”

Allura smiles at Lance, her marks glowing in the dim light. “Don’t worry. This will work. I can feel it.”

\---------------

In Space on Route to the White Hole

Using the personal transport craft (propulsion sleds modified for use in space), Allura and Lotor begin their trip into the white hole.

Their trip is monitored closely by the rest of the team on the Castle of Lions. While everyone else is at peace with the decision, Lance and Coran remain stressed over Allura’s decision to proceed with the trip.

“Did they make it in?”

Coran is not in the mood to answer questions, but he does his best to be civil. “I don’t know. I can’t get any readings beyond the edge of the white hole.”

Keith takes a deep breath. “We’ll just have to wait.”

Penetrating the outer barrier of the white hole, Allura and Lotor fight through the swirling currents. They pick their way carefully through the flying debris as they proceed towards the bright center of the phenomena. The center where the White Lion resides.

As she expected, the face of the White Lion appears before them. “Lotor, do not hesitate, do not back down. Make for the Guardian!”

His expression set, the Emperor follows Allura’s lead and they head straight for the Guardian. The White Lion stares them down, then opens his mouth. The Guardian does not roar, nor does it fire an energy beam. Instead, Allura and Lotor are surrounded by a blinding white light. For several doboshes, they lose all sense of direction and location.

Allura closes her eyes tightly. She finally opens one eye, then the other. She gazes in wonder at the sight before her.

They approach a planet covered by purple clouds. As the clouds part, they look down on an incredible landscape. Circling the planet in its lower atmosphere are many smaller celestial bodies that have the appearance of floating mountains.

“It’s amazing.”

Beyond the floating celestial objects lies their destination. The planet they came here to find.

Oriande.

Landing their personal transport craft in a valley, Allura and Lotor look around at the mountains of Oriande surrounding them.

Words begin to fail Lotor, but he does his best to state his feelings in this moment.

“None of my research or travels have prepared me for this. From here, Allura, we are on our own.”

**Moods**

Engineering Section, Castle of Lions

Hunk and Pidge are assisting Coran as he attempts to restore power to the Castle of Lions. Neither Keith nor Lance possess the necessary technical skills to assist, so they stand aside to let the others work.

Coran sits on the floor, holding the ends of two cables. Pidge is on her back, her head and arms inside the base of a console. Hunk stands by outside the console waiting for her instructions.

Keith remains quiet as he observes his teammates.

Lance on the other hand is anything but quiet. He sits cross-legged with his back against the side of the console, his arms crossed. His right leg twitches very nervously, to the point where he is annoying everyone else.

“Anything?”

Hunk checks the instruments on the console. “No.”

Lost in his own world, Lance’s imagination runs wild. “What’s happening? What do you think they’re doing right now?”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Wait, what?”

“We’re not talking to you, Lance.” She turns her attention back to Hunk and Coran. “Hunk, is this doing anything?”

“Do you think she’s all right? I mean, will they be able to get back?”

Hunk checks the console. “I don’t think so.”

Lance leaps to his feet and confronts Hunk. “You don’t?”

“He’s not talking to you!”

Lance sticks his head down into the well where Pidge is working. “Well, excuse me for being concerned!”

Coran watches the scene somewhat bemused, holds the two ends of the cable, waiting for Pidge’s instructions.

“Coran, try to fire the chargers.”

Coran connects the two ends of the cables.

“It’s just nerve-wracking waiting for Allura to get back.” Lance walks towards Keith looking for sympathy.

Keith stands there, staring straight ahead out into space, his arms crossed. His mind is a million miles away, focused on someone else, and he is completely oblivious to Lance’s antics.

Coran puts the two cables together and gets no indication that anything is happening. “I’m afraid they’re dead.”

Lance turns away from Keith, completely freaking out. “WHAT???”

Keith snaps out of his reverie and shoots Lance a dirty look.

Pidge has had enough of the Blue Paladin. “Keith! Can you take Lance, please?”

Keith walks over to Lance, grabs him by the scruff of the neck, and drags him along. “Come on. You and I are going to have a talk and leave these guys to fix the Castle.”

\---------------

Hallway Outside of the Engineering Section, Castle of Lions

“It’s ok, Keith. I’ll be quiet. You don’t have to babysit me.” Lance plops his head against a structural beam and sighs.

“Lance, she’s going to be ok. She’s quite capable of taking care of herself. Altean women are strong. She’ll be fine. You need to stop obsessing over her. It’s not helpful.”

“Yeah well…with all due respect, what do you know about caring about another…” Lance pauses when he sees the harsh stare from Keith. “…person…Oh, right. Acxa. Have you…heard anything…?”

“No, and I’m certainly _not_ going to talk about my love life.”

“Or lack of it.”

“Or lack of…Wait…Lance!”

“Come on, man. Enough with this lone wolf act. You can’t keep putting yourself out on an island by yourself and shutting everyone out. It’s not healthy.”

Keith leans against the wall, crosses his arms, and lifts his right heel onto the wall. “Yeah, well, there’s less chance of getting hurt that way.”

“Dude, she’s really gotten to you. Everyone sees it.”

Keith pulls himself erect and sputters for a moment. “Gotten to me? No…No, that’s crazy. She hasn’t gotten to me. The last I saw her, she was with Haggar on Feyev. I couldn’t believe it.”

Keith finishes the thought in his mind. _‘I thought…she was different. The last person I expected her to wind up serving was Haggar.’_

“Hey man, you don’t know what she’s had to deal with. I mean, I was surprised to hear that she was still alive, after what happened to Zarkon.”

“That makes two of us. You’re right. I shouldn’t judge her because I don’t know what she’s been through. Not that it matters anyway. We seem to keep ending up on opposite sides. I don’t think it’s meant to happen. Besides, Galra females do the pursuing when it comes to finding a mate. That look she shot me at the Kral Zera…if looks could kill I would be dead. She was pretty pissed.”

Keith goes silent. He thinks to himself, _‘And yet, at the same time, she gave me a look that said she wasn’t angry with me.’_

“Look, Keith. Maybe you two _are_ meant to be together and you guys are just being put through the wringer by some mysterious all-powerful being to pull you closer together, maybe for some mystical magical purpose!”

Keith looks askew at Lance. “I think the lack of oxygen is affecting your brain. You’re talking crazy now. Let’s sit down.”

As Lance sits, he gets one final dig in at Keith. “Admit it. The blue lady has stolen your Black Paladin heart and you don’t know what to do!”

“Lance, for the love of… _shut up!_ ”

\---------------

Bridge, Haggar’s Battleship

Keith isn’t the only one dealing with moody team members.

“I’m bored.”

Lying on her back staring at the ceiling of the Bridge, Ezor is in a mood. She sits up and turns to Acxa. “How long are we just gonna drift here?”

Acxa is just as bored but will never admit it to anyone. Standing in front of her control station, cross-armed and annoyed at Ezor’s whining, she does her best to keep her cool.

_“Until Haggar decides what our next move is.”_

“Ughhh” Ezor wrinkles her face and turns away, her behavior like that of a petulant teenager.

She isn’t the only one in a mood. Sitting on the steps leading to Acxa’s control station, next to Ezor, Zethrid is no better.

“While she’s doing her magical pondering, we could be out conquering. The whole Empire is in chaos.” She turns to Ezor, who is listening intently to Zethrid’s rant. “We play our cards right, and we have a nice little territory of our own.”

Ezor picks up on Zethrid’s thought. “You think we could replace Lotor as Emperor?”

“Who knows? If we start taking the other commanders out, one by one, we could be the last ones standing.”

Two Galra Commanders, manning the navigation and weapons consoles, can’t help but overhear the conversation. They look at each other with concern. One pats his holster to make sure his blaster pistol is at the ready.

Seeing the commander’s reaction, Acxa decides enough is enough. Time to end this nonsense and she makes that emphatically clear to Zethrid and Ezor. _“No one is replacing Lotor. We just need to wait for orders from Haggar.”_ As much as she has an axe to grind with the new Galra Emperor, she is not about to condone open rebellion and treason against the legal Emperor of the Empire.

Zethrid and Ezor both slump and hang their heads. They still respect Acxa as the senior member of their group, but what she told them is not what they want to hear.

A thought strikes Ezor. She sits up and turns to Zethrid. “You wanna go throw things at the crew?”

“Yes!”

Watching her two friends take off to cause mischief, Acxa stands there, an expression of sheer annoyance and surrender on her face.

Her mind drifts and her thoughts turn to another. She was surprised to see him on Feyev, but she was glad she did. It is comforting to know he is alive and well. He’s beginning to display his Galra markings. By the look of his body striping, he’s most likely a member of one of the families in the Bardolia clan. He’s allied himself with Lotor. She closes her eyes tightly and sighs. If only one event in her recent past had broken differently she would be…

She shakes her head, snaps out of her funk, and mumbles to herself so as not to be overheard. _“Stop it, Acxa. You can’t think like that. After seeing me with Haggar…I’m sure he’s lost any interest he may have had…he’ll never forgive me now.”_

Wrapping her arms around herself, she closes her eyes and sighs heavily.

**Oriande**

The Mountains of Oriande

Allura and Lotor struggle to climb a mountain peak near their landing site.

“I wonder if Father climbed this mountain.”

“You know, I envy you growing up with King Alfor. I always wanted to be an explorer and learn about the universe.”

A tinge of bitterness creeps into the tone of Lotor’s voice. “My father was only interested in conquering it. He once put me in charge of a planet for a year, running the Quintessence mining and getting to know the local population.”

Allura reaches the top of the mountain and reaches down to give Lotor a hand.

Pulling himself up with the assist from Allura, Lotor continues his story. “Rather than employ the usual Galran methods of subjugation, I worked alongside the leadership of the planet, learning their customs. We would only extract as much quintessence as could be replenished. And I enjoyed it quite a bit.”

“When my father found out what was happening…he ordered me to destroy the planet. I refused, and he sent me away.”

Lotor strides past Allura, not wanting to look at her for fear she will see the emotion he does not want to betray.

“Lotor, at least you stood up for those people.”

He stands with his back to her, bitterness dripping from his voice. “He destroyed them all.”

FLASHBACK: The Mining Colony

After working on the colony for a decaphoeb, Lotor anticipates Zarkon’s arrival to check on his progress.

Watching Galra Central Command enter the planet’s atmosphere, Lotor, Kova, and Ven’tar, the leader of the indigenous people, prepare for Zarkon’s arrival.

“Are you nervous?”

“No, Ven’tar. This is my chance to finally make a difference, to show my father what we are capable of.”

Arriving at Lotor’s headquarters with Haggar, Zarkon asks Lotor to update him on his progress.

“Our Quintessence yields are some of the highest in the Empire, and we’ve been more efficient than any other. By working alongside the denizens of this planet, like Ven’tar here, we’ve outsourced…”

Upon hearing his son say he is working alongside an indigenous population, Zarkon explodes. “You DARE work with this pitiful race as if they are your EQUALS?”

Lotor stands to defend his position, as Ven’tar bows her head in fear and submission. Summoning his courage, Lotor confronts his father. “It is working. We have outpaced even the most generous projections.”

Zarkon sneers at his son, refusing to listen to reason. “The heir to the Galra throne should not sully our honor by working with his subjects!”

Anger seething within him, Lotor collects his thoughts, chooses his words carefully, and shocks his father with a bombshell revelation. “It is the way my mother’s people would have done things.”

Pausing to let his words sink in, Lotor drives home his point. “You thought I couldn’t find out about my own mother? About her people? You thought you destroyed every remnant of Altea, but you cannot unless you destroy your own son as well!”

Zarkon explodes and takes a menacing step towards his son. “ENOUGH! You are to crush this planet beneath your heel!”

“NEVER!”

Zarkon narrows his eyes, a tone of finality in his voice. “Then I will!”

Zarkon turns and strides out of the room, with Lotor trailing behind, pleading now with his father to not take drastic action. “You wouldn’t! You can’t! Father, wait! No, please don’t do this, Father. Do not make these people suffer for my actions.”

“It is already done.”

Lotor makes one last attempt to barter for the lives of the planet’s inhabitants. “I will do as you ask. The people will serve the Galra.”

These words are no sooner spoken, when Lotor is hit with a dark magic strike by Haggar. He slumps unconscious to the floor, awakening some vargas later in the throne room of Galra Central Command.

The sight that greets him is horrific. The planet is a blazing inferno, blasted apart and scorched by the combined weight of a Galra fleet and the Galra Central Command flagship.

“No…NO!”

Zarkon then takes drastic action against his son. “You are hereby banished from the Empire. Forced to live out the remainder of your quintants remembering your failure here.” Zarkon turns his back on his son and walks away, while Haggar lingers behind.

Seething with rage, Lotor lashes out at her. “Have you nothing to say, witch? Surely even you can see the folly of your master’s actions.”

Haggar says nothing.

\---------------

The Mountains of Oriande

“I was powerless to stop him.”

“I spent the following centuries searching for clues about my Altean heritage…” His eyes burn with hatred for his father. “…another culture destroyed by Zarkon.”

Allura senses his pain and reaches out to sooth him. “I’m glad you’re here to help me now. I’d have never made it this far without you. Lotor, look around. Did you in your wildest imagination think you would see anything this spectacular.

He turns, genuinely touched by her words. Seeing her smile and the warm expression on her face makes his heart melt.

“You’re right, Allura. This view is spectacular.”

He turns his gaze to the sight behind her. Below them, shrouded by a light purple mist, extends a verdant river valley. The river snakes its way through a lush forest, thicker than any he’d ever seen.

They spend several doboshes just taking in the sight. Finally, they realize they must move on. “Come, we still have a long way to go.”

Trudging across the ridgeline for a varga, they see their destination off in the distance, set below several floating mountains. The Pyramid complex of Oriande.

**The Trials of the Sages**

The Grand Pyramid of the Sages, Oriande

They stand before the entrance to the Grand Pyramid of the Sages less than a varga later. The base of the Pyramid is an immense perfect square two-tenths of a mile in diameter. The main entrance is set in a corner of the structure, and the walkway leading to it is flanked by two large and ornate obelisks. The designs etched into the sides of the pyramid glow a bright light blue.

Standing before this immense structure, Lotor and Allura feel like ants. They stand there, unsure as to what their next move should be. As if in response to their unspoken questions, the Guardian of Oriande appears just inside the entrance to the Pyramid.

Glowing a bright white, the Guardian takes three steps forward and stares silently at them. Establishing eye contact, he turns and strides inside the Pyramid. His meaning is obvious.

Follow me.

Entering the Pyramid, Allura and Lotor discover that the walls are covered in ancient Altean runes and artwork.

“Look at these ancient markings. They’re beautiful!”

A shiver runs down Lotor’s spine as he realizes where they are. “The Temple of the Alchemists. Set within the Grand Pyramid of the Sages of Oriande. The mysteries we seek are hidden somewhere deep inside this structure.”

The growling of the Guardian echoes through the entrance chamber. Standing before a distant doorway, the Guardian growls again, turns, and enters the next chamber. A clear indication for them to follow him, and to be quick about it.

The pair descend a long stairway into the heart of the Pyramid. They emerge into an immense chamber.

Seated on large stone chairs are eight giant statues, four on each side of a grand concourse. Dressed in the garb of ancient Altean warrior alchemists, they each hold a spear with a giant glowing spear point. The marks just below the outside corners of their eyes, marking them as alchemic masters, glow brightly.

Allura removes her helmet as a sign of respect. “The Sages of Oriande.” As she moves forward, Lotor follows her, removing his helmet as well.

Walking the concourse between the statues, Allura recounts stories from her father about the Sages. “My father told me tales of their exploits, but I always assumed they were just children’s stories.”

Lotor gazes in wonder at the statues. “The Life Givers. They were the first Alteans to unlock the secrets of Oriande, the beginning of Altean alchemy. Allura, the tales you grew up with were not just children’s stories.”

Without warning, the statues of the Sages come to life. Two of them pull their spears out of the stones in which they are mounted and stand. The strike at the horrified pair, just missing them as they scramble out of the way. The spearpoints strike the ground and the spear shafts cross, forming an X shape that blocks their escape.

Turning to flee in the direction from which they came, they are confronted by a third Sage. Grasping his spear in both hands, the giant Sage pulls its hands up to ear level and prepares to strike them dead with a massive strike.

As the stone Sage brings the spear down for the killing strike, a quick thinking Allura extends her arm towards it. Clutched in her hand is the Compass Stone.

The Sage freezes, ceasing its attack. Allura pulls her arm back and addresses all the Sages.

“Great protectors, we seek passage through your land.” She kneels, bows her head, and offers the Compass Stone once again. Lotor follows her lead and kneels. “We bring you this gift.”

The Sage lowers his spear and stands as the Compass Stone displays its star map of Oriande. The Sage reaches down and accepts the gift.

The two Sages who blocked their way stand erect and hold their spears at their side. The way forward is now clear.

**The Trials of the Guardian**

Descending a second set of stairs, they enter another chamber. At the far end of the room, standing between two pedestals is the Guardian.

“Now what?”

“I don’t know but be prepared. We may yet have to prove that we’re worthy to be here.”

Lotor’s words prove to be prophetic. The Guardian growls one final time, then vanishes. As soon as he’s gone, the door to the chamber slams shut

“We’re trapped.”

As if that is not bad enough, the ceiling of the chamber begins to descend.

Driven by his survival instinct, he looks around the room and calls out to Allura. “There must be a clue. Something a trained Altean would recognize.”

Their eyes frantically scan the chamber for any sign of hope. Allura focuses on the place where the Guardian was standing before he vanished, and she spots something.

“There! It’s like the Bridge of the Castle! A teleduv!”

They sprint to the teleduv pedestals. Allura takes her position and begins the activation sequence. It’s a sequence that takes longer than Lotor hoped it would. Allura concentrats hard on a destination, any destination that will get them out of the chamber.

They are both enveloped by a blindingly bright white light.

The Arena Above the Clouds, Oriande

The light fades and as Lotor’s eyes adjust to the ambient lighting he finds himself in a surreal location. He stands on a cloud bank above the Pyramid. He spins, looking for Allura, but she is nowhere to be found.

“Allura? Allura!” His voice echoes strangely across the landscape.

Hearing a noise behind him he wheels about. To his horror, he is staring down the Guardian and this time Allura is not here to help guide him through the experience.

Snarling, the Guardian approaches Lotor in a threatening manner, obviously intent on attacking him.

\---------------

Allura finds herself in a similar environment as Lotor but try as she might she cannot find him. Looking around, she finds herself confronted by the Guardian.

The Guardian growls, snarls, and begins to stalk towards her in a menacing fashion. It breaks into a dead run and leaps at her.

Allura nimbly rolls out of the way, regains her feet, and prepares for the next attack. She hopes reasoning with it will help.

“I do not wish to fight. I come here seeking knowledge.”

The Guardian is unimpressed. Charging Allura once again, he rams her with his head, tossing her aside. The Guardian pulls his feet under him, roars loudly, and prepares for his next attack.

\---------------

The Guardian charges a horrified Lotor, who athletically spins out of its way. Keeping his feet under him, he prepares for the next attack.

He doesn’t wait long.

The Guardian charges him, mouth agape and read to bite. Lotor seizes his jaws and holds them open, keeping the giant beast from biting him. The Guardian lunges forward throwing Lotor on his back. Grunting, he maintains his grip on the Guardian’s jaws as they inch closer to his neck.

“I will never yield. I will gain your secrets.”

That is not what the Guardian wants to hear. Bowing its head and then flicking it rapidly upward, he tosses Lotor aside as if he were a rag doll. The Guardian sets up for his next attack as Lotor slams into the surface, bouncing very roughly three times before rolling to a stop.

\---------------

Allura struggles to her knees. Her brow furrowed and her senses heightened, she studies the Guardian as it prepares for its next attack. “What can I do?”

She’ll need to think quickly. The Guardian, snarling loudly, charges at her once again.

\---------------

Wincing in pain as he regains his feet, an angry Lotor stares down the Guardian. Seeing the White Lion charge, he snarls, draws his Altean broadsword, and shouts the Galra battle cry.

“Victory or death!”

The Guardian leaps at Lotor.

Swinging his broadsword with all his might, Lotor slices the White Lion in two. The Guardian hangs in mid-air momentarily, then vanishes in a quick flash of light as motes of Quintessence mark where he once was.

Lotor is surrounded by a blinding white light. As the light fades, he finds himself in the one place he did not want to be.

Standing outside the Grand Pyramid of the Sages.

“No. NO!”

\---------------

Charging and missing Allura, the Guardian circles around for yet another attack. He quickly breaks into a sprint and charges her once again.

Allura realizes she cannot continue to dodge the Guardian. “No. This isn’t the way. I seek the secret of life.” Staring down the Guardian as he comes in for the kill, she stops fighting and surrenders herself.

“I give my own.”

The Guardian does not kill her. Transforming himself into a mass of energy, he merges with Allura. He becomes one with her.

A bright white light surrounds her as she closes her eyes and accepts her fate.

**Audience with the Lion Goddess**

Allura opens her eyes to yet another surreal scene. She finds herself floating weightless in the cosmos, in the center of a bright and narrow beam of light.

“Where am I?”

“You have returned to the realm of your ancestors, the Alteans and the Life Givers who came before.”

“Who…who are you?”

“Who I am is not important. I have many names and am known to many peoples. I know who you are Allura, Princess of Altea. You are one of my beloved seven Paladins.”

“Seven…Paladins…I don’t understand.”

“You will soon, Allura. You came here for a purpose. What do you seek?’

“I wish to learn the secrets my father knew, the alchemy that created Voltron.” Allura kneels, prostrating herself before this mysterious being.

“There is no need to kneel here. You are home, and the secret is already within you.”

Allura is pulled gently into a standing position.

“Rise, let us embrace you.”

Allura is pulled upwards as she is enveloped once again by the blinding white light.

**The Chosen**

Bridge, The Castle of Lions

“Oxygen levels…five percent.”

Unable to get the power restored to the Castle of Lions, the oxygen levels are depleted to dangerous levels. Four Paladins and Coran are sprawled out in on the deck of the Bridge, doing their best to conserve the precious little oxygen they have left.

Pidge refuses to give up. “There must be some way for us…” She draws as deep a breath as she can “…to harness the power of the white hole…” Another deep breath. “…and use it to get the ship working.” She groans before collapsing.

Hunk, lying on his side, breaks the bad news to her. “We’ve tried everything. I don’t think…I can keep moving.”

A rapid beeping comes from the main viewscreen, one of the few systems they were able to restore. Sprawled on his back and craning his head to look at it, Lance calls out hope.

“Look…It’s Allura!”

\---------------

Arriving on the Bridge and seeing things in a dire state, Allura immediately steps to the teleduv terminal just below the Balmeran crystal. Using her newly acquired knowledge, she restores power and life support to the giant ship. After a few doboshes, enough oxygen flows through the ship that the Paladins can get to their feet and breathe normally.

Spy software, installed by Sendak during the brief time he controlled the Castle of Lions, comes back online along with the rest of the Castles’ systems. The energy restoration also activates the video capture subroutine of the spy software, which up to this point was inactive.

\---------------

Still groggy, Coran congratulates Allura on her achievement. “You did it!”

Lance, using Coran and Hunk to steady himself, pulls himself up as best he can. “We…we should have never doubted you.”

Allura beams at her friends. “I couldn’t have done it without Lotor.”

Lotor is humbled by Allura’s praise. Self-conscious up to this point over his failure in the trials, he finds renewed pride and a sense of worth in Allura’s words. That she recognized and appreciated his contributions means a great deal to him.

He returns her compliment with one of his own. “You are a true Altean alchemist. Oriande was for you, not for me.”

Allura smiles warmly in appreciation at the Galra Emperor. Something else is beginning to stir within the Altean princess as well.”

Keith Hunk, Pidge, and Coran smile at the sight before them, while Lance is less than thrilled with what he is seeing.

As Allura and Lotor relay the story of their journey to Oriande, another party listens in with intense interest.

\---------------

Haggar’s Battleship

“So, what’s the next step?”

“Slow down, Pidge. We just started breathing again?”

The words and images from the Bridge of the Castle of Lions stream out from Haggar’s monitoring device. Having heard and seen enough, she departs her sanctuary and makes her way to the Bridge of her own ship.

As the door to the Bridge slides open, Acxa turns and salutes the High Priestess.

“I have the coordinates for our next destination.”

_“Where are we headed?”_

“A place I’ve been searching for my entire life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flashback detailing Lotor's experience on the mining colony is pulled from S8 E2 Shadows. IMHO this is where that scene should have been placed all along. The animation and dialog in the canon version of White Lion lent itself to a flashback, so I added it to this work.
> 
> The section titled Moods was a lot of fun to write. Acxa and Keith are clearly pining for one another, yet both are in denial. They've independently come to the conclusion that theirs is a doomed relationship. And that crazy line of Lance's, about a "mysterious all-powerful being"? Keep that in mind as the story continues beyond this work.
> 
> The next chapter includes more Galra world-building and continues to explore the concept of what could have been had Keith not been frozen out of most of Season 6. Thank you for reading this chapter! It means a great deal, and your support is appreciated.


	10. Omega Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor introduces the team to a key figure from his past, who teaches Keith more about his background than he bargained for. As Lotor struggles to consolidate his power as Emperor, the Paladins race to save the lives of innocent civilians threatened by a dangerous breakaway faction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follows the canon flow for this chapter, but with the major plot twist of Keith's presence and Shiro's absence in this storyline. Changes include interactions between Keith and Lotor, and Keith and Dayak.

**DAYAK**

Castle of Lions, on Approach to Galra Central Command

Standing on the Bridge of the Castle next to Allura, Emperor Lotor reflects on their just completed mission to Oriande. “To return so triumphantly is a dream I thought I would never achieve. We are one step closer to bringing peace and prosperity to the entire universe.”

He faces Allura and praises her deferentially. “This is all because of you, Princess.”

Allura smiles warmly at the Emperor, a soft light in her eyes. “We did it together, Lotor.” Blushing, she turns slightly away. “I would have never even known of Oriande without you, and therefore could have never unlocked its secrets.”

Galra Central Command

Docking the Castle of Lions in the main battleship docking bay, the team makes their way onto Galra Central Command.

“We’ll see what intel is in your briefing and decide what to do from there.”

As they enter the Grand Concourse leading to the Throne, Lotor nods towards Keith, agreeing to that approach.

“Perhaps we can…”

“Lotor.”

Startled by the interruption, Lotor is horrified to see who the interrupter is.

“Oh no…”

Lance, just as startled and probably more irritated, confronts the source of the interruption. An elderly Galra woman.

“Uh…who the heck are you?”

Dressed in Galra court attire, the woman’s posture is ramrod straight, and her demeanor is formal. She strides purposefully towards Lance, her eyes burning brightly with resentment. She towers over him and, clutching a riding crop tightly, makes it clear she is not impressed with him.

“How dare you speak to me without authorization from Blood Emperor Lotor.”

A quick flip of her wrist is all it takes for her riding crop to smack across Lance’s cheek. The Blue Paladin recoils in shock and pain.

Lotor sighs slightly and lowers his eyes so as not to look directly at the woman. His behavior makes it apparent to everyone that she is someone he respects.

Or fears.

“She was my governess.” He raises his head and looks straight into her eyes, a gesture she returns with a stern look upon her face. “No one has used the term “Blood Emperor” since before we were a space-faring race.”

Nodding slightly towards the governess, he turns and gestures to the Paladins. “And these are my colleagues. They have more than my permission to speak.”

“Everyone, this is Dayak.”

Pidge and Hunk greet Dayak with informal hellos. Coran and Allura, being versed in the ways of court diplomacy, are more formal in their greetings. Still holding his head, Lance just groans at her.

Keith stands at attention, nods his head, and greets her formally. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Dayak.”

Lotor turns back to Dayak, dreading the answer to the question he is about to ask. “So…to what do we owe the honor?”

Dayak finally cracks a smile as she speaks to Lotor with obvious pride in her voice. “Word of your victory at the Kral Zera has spread throughout the Empire. I always knew you had it in you to crush your enemies.” She bows her head in deference to her Emperor. “Dayak’s raised you from a child to a man…” Dayak snaps to attention, holding her crop in a vertical position. “…and now I’ll witness your ascension to the throne!”

Surprise does not begin to describe Lotor’s reaction to Dayak’s words, nor does it do justice to his wide-eyed and slack-jawed expression.

Lance finds the whole exchange humorous and takes advantage of the opportunity to poke some fun at Lotor. “Wait, she raised you from a child? Aww, is this your nanny?”

Lotor doesn’t move his head, but he gives Lance a sideways glance and responds with annoyance. “Governess.”

“You have a nanny! Oh man, is she going to read you bedtime stories? Is she gonna rock you to sleep? Is she gonna…?”

“Lance, that’s enough! You need to show some respect!”

Before Keith can say anything else, Dayak’s riding crop comes down hard on Lance’s head.

“Ow!”

“I instructed Lotor in the ways of the Galra. The history of our conquests, our customs, battle philosophy, the art of war.” She holds her head high, nose up in the air, proud of her accomplishments.

Hunk isn’t intimidated by Dayak. Instead he’s rather intrigued by her. “Hmmm. Galra customs, huh? Is that like when you guys say “Vrepit sa” and stuff? Ah, there’s so much we don’t know about you. Keith is Galra and he doesn’t know much about you.”

She turns to Lotor. “My Emperor, who is this Keith that the round one speaks of?”

Lotor makes a formal introduction. “Dayak, may I introduce Keith Uhler, Black Paladin of Voltron and a fellow Galra.”

Dayak approaches Keith, who subconsciously stands as straight and erect as he can. Despite this, there is an obvious height difference between he and the stern Galra governess.

She looks Keith up and down, carefully studying him as if he were livestock up for auction. “What are your Clan and House affiliations, Black Paladin?”

Keith looks Dayak in the eye, summoning all the courage he can. “Clan Bardolia, House Dormond.”

Dayak pulls back in surprise. “House Dormond you say?” She studies the details of Keith’s face intently for a moment. “Yes. You bear the marks of a Dormond. Interesting.”

“Interesting, how? You make being a Dormond sound like a bad thing.”

He is answered with a sneer as Dayak looks down her nose at him. “Humph. You have the insolence of a Dormond as well.”

Lotor’s eyes gleam as a devious idea pops into his head. He puts one hand on Keith’s shoulder, the other on Hunk’s back, and leans in to speak into their ears. “Keith, Hunk…if you’re interested in our society’s history, you couldn’t find a better teacher than Dayak.”

Dayak snaps to attention and smiles. “What Emperor Lotor says is true.”

“Oh wow. Would you really teach me about the Galra? Keith, I mean he knows some things about the Galra, but I know nothing.”

“What do you wanna know about the Galra for? Keith, I can understand why he would want to know. But you, Hunk? I don’t get it.”

“Think about it, Lance. We’re gonna be working with Lotor to bring peace throughout the Empire, right? Makes sense the more we know about their society, the better. What do you think, Keith?”

Keith mulls it over. Narti, Meltok, Kolivan, and even Acxa to a degree all told him the best way to learn about the Galra is to learn from the Galra. “Dayak, if you would be willing, we would consider it an honor to learn from you.”

Dayak narrows her eyes and looks down her nose at Keith. “If you are to learn the ways of the Galra, Black Paladin, you must be prepared for the most challenging trial you could ever undertake. There will be no turning back.”

Her eyes become as wide as saucers. “Victory…” Then narrow into slits. “…or Death!”

Hunk decides to pass on the challenge. “Uh, oh, that’s okay. Keith it makes sense for you to go solo on this one. Being Galra and all…”

“Wait, Hunk…you’re backing out on me?” Keith is half-teasing and half-serious at the same time.

“No…think of it as a strategic withdrawal. Aren’t you the one that told me that leaders are not obligated to perpetuate foolishness…like going into a Galra training session where the learning motto is Victory or Death? Where you could be killed for getting a problem wrong on a pop quiz?”

Allura steps in to change Hunk’s mind. “Hunk, you and Keith are Paladins of Voltron. There is no challenge too great for the two you.”

Hunk crosses his arms and groans while he thinks about it. He turns to Dayak. “Will I learn what Vrepit sa means?”

“Yes!” She smacks her riding crop into her open hand.

Hunk looks to Keith. “Let’s do it!”

“Dayak, before we go for our first lesson…”, he turns to Lotor, “… we have a briefing we need to attend.”

\---------------

Situation Briefing, Operations Center, Galra Central Command

The viewscreen in the command center of Galra Central Command displays a dire scenario on the star map.

“The civil war continues unimpeded. More and more Galra forces are leaving to join other factions.” The Commander leading the briefing now superimposes an image of one of the faction leaders over the star map.

“Sendak has claimed the most deserters. They call themselves the Fire of Purification.”

Lotor stares grimly at the viewscreen. “It is time I address all Galra and make my claim as Emperor absolute.”

“Is that going to start with you freeing planets?”

“It’s…not that easy, Lance. My grip on the Empire is tenuous as is. I need to proffer an alternative to our current state. That’s why it is so important that Allura and I gain access to the Quintessence field.”

“Are we to focus all our energy on that?”

Allura is concerned that Lotor’s fixation on Quintessence is blinding him to the other issues around him that must be addressed. Rightly so. Despite her admonition, Lotor remains steadfast in his resolve to get into the Quintessence field.

“It is paramount. However, I cannot let the Empire fall apart. I will address my people at the astral conflux.”

Keith approaches Lotor with a proposition. “Voltron can help you by quelling any trouble caused by the breakaway factions, until you can convince them to rejoin the Empire.”

“Thank you, Keith. To that point, I must ask a favor. One thing that will help bring the factions back into the fold is for you and Hunk to go through a condensed version of Dayak’s training regimen. We don’t have the time for you to go through the complete program…that would take decaphoebs. But she can give you the basics, enough to help you in dealing with the factions. You did say earlier the two of you would be willing to train with her.”

Keith looks at Hunk, who smiles and nods. Turning back to Lotor, he agrees to the Emperor’s request. “That will work.”

“Good. I’ll make the arrangements with Dayak.” Before departing, he walks over to Keith and Hunk, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “I should warn you both. Her teaching methods are…extreme. Be prepared for anything.”

“And I mean anything.”

**Friendly Advice**

Operations Center, Galra Central Command

Ten doboshes later, Lotor approaches Keith. “The arrangements have been made. Dayak is waiting for you in the training studio. You must be there in thirty doboshes. Don’t be late…she despises tardiness.”

Keith remembers his experiences with Kolivan and Meltok when he showed up for training sessions ten minutes early and was accused of being late. “So, be there in fifteen doboshes. Got it.”

“I have a question for you. I understand how it will help Hunk and I to have a broader understanding of Galra culture when dealing with the factions. What I don’t understand is why the factions split in the first place. You lit the flame. Aren’t they honor-bound to obey you?”

“The factions don’t see it that way. They are unhappy because I espouse peaceful co-existence with our conquered peoples and neighbors. They split away because I am not a pure-blood Galra. You heard the witch at the Kral Zera. She called me out on it. The factions that broke away hate me because they perceive me as weak because I am mixed blood. It is, unfortunately, one of our failings as a society. It’s something I plan on changing.”

Keith decides to ask a question that’s been on his mind for some time. “Is that why you selected Galra half-breeds as your Generals? Because you’re a half-breed yourself.”

Lotor looks long and hard at Keith. “You seem to be very interested in my choice of Generals. Yes, that is one reason I chose them. Being half-breeds, we shared a common point-of-view. We understood the discrimination half-breeds endure and we shared a common vision to end it. It created a bond between us, a sense of loyalty and purpose.”

“Loyalty, eh? If they are so loyal to you, why aren’t they here? Why is Ac…why are they serving Haggar now? And Zarkon before her?”

Clearly picking up the tone in Keith’s voice, Lotor narrows his eyes at Keith. “It’s a topic I am not prepared to discuss, nor would I discuss it if I were prepared.”

Seeing Keith tense up, Lotor decides to do some probing of his own regarding Keith’s slip of the tongue a moment earlier. “Wait a tick…you really are worried about her. Well, you needn’t be. She is quite capable of taking care of herself.”

He steps close to Keith and whispers in his ear. “Oh…and if you truly care about what happens to Acxa…don’t ask again. Prying ears are everywhere. She is in enough danger as it is.”

Keith steps back, tensing up even more, his eyes narrowing. Despite speaking in a whisper, there is an edge in his voice. “Is that a threat?”

“No. It’s a friendly piece of advice. From one half-breed to another, on behalf of a third.”

**Palen Bol**

Training Studio, Galra Central Command

They kneel next to one another with their upper arms out to their sides, parallel to the floor. Their forearms are vertical, and in each hand they hold a heavy weight.

“How is holding these weights gonna help us learn Galra history?”

Smack! The riding crop crashes down on Hunk’s head “Palen bol!”

“Palen bol? What does it…?”

Smack! Keith finds out the hard way what a riding crop to the head feels like.

“For the mind to learn, the body must be broken.” She stands over him, smacking the riding crop into her open palm, daring him to open his mouth again.

Keith is more than happy to oblige, much to his regret. “Broken? That seems a little drastic.”

“Palen-bol!” The crop slams down once again on Keith’s head.

“Ow! What does that mean?”

“It means ‘the enlightening pain.’ But apparently there is not enough pain to make you enlightened yet.”

“So, you’re going to hurt me until I’m smart?”

“Yes! I should have expected behavior such as yours, coming from a Dormond.”

Keith’s face flushes with anger, his eyes narrowing. “Coming from a Dormond? What do you mean by _that_?”

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

“Stop that!”

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

This time Keith bites his lip. His anger boils inside him, but he maintains his composure and controls himself.

“The Dormonds are one of the oldest houses in the Galra Empire. But recently, many members of your House have taken up arms against the Galra by joining the Blade of Marmora. This action brings shame to their House. Where once the Dormonds were a pure-blood House, they are now mixed breed, with pure blood and half-breed families.”

Keith speaks slowly and deliberately through gritted teeth. “I am a Blade of Marmora and I am a half-breed. I am proud of that, and I am proud of my House. If you said any of that to make me ashamed of my House, you failed. I say their actions brought honor to my House by opposing a tyrant.”

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

Keith’s eyes burn with hostility, but he keeps his mouth shut. Dayak maintains eye contact, not breaking her silence until a full dobosh passes.

“Listen carefully, young Dormond. I tell you this not to shame you but to educate you. It is obvious you know nothing about your own House. Hopefully you will use the knowledge I impart to act honorably and by doing so elevate the status of your House. Do you understand me? Speak!”

He answers through gritted teeth, smarting at her rebuke. “I am not a dog. Yes, I understand you.”

“Good! Now, listen carefully.”

“The Galra race started as a nation tribe on planet Diabazaal. Home to many warring races at the time. Twelve to be precise.” Dayak slowly circles the pair. Smacking her riding crop in her open palm, waiting for the slightest flinching from Keith or Hunk.

“In the war to annihilate the opposing tribes, the Galra formed a phalanx of their bravest and made a spear-like attack to the heart of their foes. It was known as the Killing Thrust, or Vrepit Sa.”

Straining to hold up the weights in his hands, Hunk grunts out a comment. “Oh, so that’s what Vrepit Sa means? Killing Thrust? That’s so violent.”

Smack! “Palen-Bol!”

“OW!”

Dayak continues her slow walk around them, like a bird of prey circling a potential meal. “Yes, it is violent. The Galra believe combat is the searing light that burns away imperfections on every level, from personal to societal.”

She turns to Keith. “Something the Dormonds need to remember!”

“WHAT?” Keith loses control and pays the price.

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

Hunk tries to come to Keith’s aid. “Ok. Can’t we maybe take a break?”

“Breaks? There are no breaks! Your training is finished when you have learned all that pain has to teach you.”

“Oh, man. That’s so intense.”

She addresses…or threatens…both Keith and Hunk. “If you decide to leave your training early, it is an insult to my teaching. An insult that can only be settled by a fight to the death.”

Keith looks on at Dayak, trying to decide if he can take her. “So, you’re saying a fight to the death is the only way out of this?”

Smack! A solid hit on the back of the legs, just below Keith’s rump. He quickly puts any thought of beating her in a fight out of his head.

“Ow! Okay, yeah, you just said that. I guess I am getting smarter.”

**The Emperor’s Speech**

Sincline Hangar Bay, Galra Central Command

Lotor and Allura stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the hangar where the third Sincline ship is being built. They gaze upon the workers and droids who toil over their construction tasks. Off to one side sits a second Sincline ship, standing by and waiting to be called into service.

Allura looks over the plans for the ship under construction and marvels at them. “Lotor…the architect who put these plans together…the engineering on this ship is incredible.”

“Yes. They are the best at their craft. Second to none. But merely building the ship is not enough. You must replicate your father’s work if we are to use this ship to enter the Quintessence field.”

Allura turns to Lotor, perplexed. “But how?”

Lotor maintains his gaze on the ship being built. “Something you learned on Oriande.” He turns and smiles. “Something your father learned to become the superior alchemist he was. How he built Voltron is the key.”

“Lotor…didn’t you say that two of these ships were already built from the comet’s ore? One is here. Where is the other?”

Lotor gazes wistfully at the completed Sincline ship. “In the hands of its architect.”

One of Lotor’s Commanders approaches the pair. “My lord. It is time to prepare for your speech.”

He turns to face Allura. “It seems my Empire needs me.” He places his right hand over his heart and bows respectfully to Allura. “Please continue.”

She nods respectfully in return. Then she turns to face the Sincline ship under construction.

And begins the process of figuring out just what it is she needs to do to it.

\---------------

Throne Room, Galra Central Command

“Galra brothers and sisters, I am your Emperor, Lotor, son and successor of Zarkon. Slayer of a tyrant, child raised in the void and taught on the battlefield.”

These are the opening words of Lotor’s first address to the Galra Empire. The broadcast goes out across the primary Galra communication links to all the worlds under the command of the Empire, and to all the ships and military units who defend it.

“There are rumors of doubt regarding my leadership. Do not let them poison your ears. Pledge loyalty to me, and I will deliver the Galra Empire unto times of untold prosperity. An age of unlimited Quintessence, the likes of which this universe has never known.”

\---------------

Shield Station Orbiting Planet Selchiev

The speech is monitored aboard the space station that controls a protective radiation shield protecting planet Selchiev.

“Commander Bogh, radiation belt approaching.”

_“Soon I will raise our grand Empire…”_

“Initiate shield, Lieutenant Lahn.”

_“…above the indigence and violence of its past…”_

Above the planet, protective panels activate under the surge of power flowing from the main generator of the shield station. The shielding is designed to protect the inhabitants of an otherwise uninhabitable planet from the deadly solar radiation belts that slam into it at regular intervals.

_“…up to new heights of peace and limitless possibility.”_

The panels emit an immense particle barrier that deflects the radiation away from the planet and back out into space.

_“Those factions that splintered from the Empire will pay for their treachery.”_

As the radiation blasts the shield, the broadcast from Galra Central Command becomes distorted, but it is still understandable.

_I urge you now, send me your messages of fealty. Those who choose to turn their backs on their Emperor…will find themselves lost to the sands of history. Unremembered and unmourned.”_

Lotor’s broadcast complete, Lieutenant Lahn turns to Commander Bogh. “You can’t possibly be thinking about pledging to him. A half-breed. And what’s all that about becoming a peaceful Empire? He’s too weak to be our Emperor.”

“Enough!” Commander Bogh is a highly decorated veteran of several large military campaigns, and one thing he will not tolerate is disloyalty to the throne. “Lotor lit the flame. We are honor-bound to do as he says, even if it is…strange. We will be pledging our loyalty to Lotor.”

Lieutenant Lahn is an ambitious and rising young officer in the Galra military. He is also not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means taking on his commanding officer. Someone not only of his own Clan, but also of his own House. “You’re weak, too.”

Commander Bogh takes two steps towards Lahn and stares him down, eye-to-eye. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear, Lieutenant Lahn. I’m in charge of this shielding facility. My word is law.”

Realizing he stepped on the line, Lahn sighs heavily and backs down. “Aye, sir.”

Lahn turns back to his control station and reads off the status. “Shield at eighty-five percent. Next radiation event in three vargas. Shutting down shielding.”

“Excellent. Recharge and prepare for the next radiation sequence.” Commander Bogh turns to his Communications Officer. “Open a hailing frequency to Galra Central Command.”

As the link to Galra Central Command is established, the Operations Officer calls out a warning. “Sir, many ships incoming, possibly hostile.”

A fleet of thirty cruisers drops out of hyperspace and appears before the station. As they continue to arrive, a communication link from the Bridge of the lead cruiser to the station is established.

The image of Commander Sendak appears before them.

“Sending a message to Lotor, are we Bogh? And to think, I came here to offer you a chance to serve in the Fire of Purification.”

Sendak turns to his operations officer. “Fire the Ion cannon.”

The cannon on Sendak’s ship takes aim. Not at the shield station, but at the major ground installation the station is protecting. The beam slams into the installation, causing massive damage to it.”

**The Royal House**

Training Studio, Galra Central Command

“In the history of the Galra Empire, there have been eight Emperors over the past thirteen millennia prior to Emperor Lotor. They are Brogar, our first. He was the Emperor when the Galra became a space-faring race and conquered Feyev. He was the first to light the flame of the Kral Zera.”

“Following Brogar were Mieszko, Olturan, Cheshot, Wybaran, Torgau, Thurig, and of course, Zarkon. Of these eight Emperors, Brogar, Mieszko, Cheshot, and Thurig were Clan Bardolia, and all were of House Dormond.” She pauses to watch Keith’s reaction.

Keith gulps hard and whispers to himself. “That means…”

“You have a question, young Dormond? Ask it.”

“My House…it…means…”

Dayak, growing impatient, finishes the thought for him. “It means that House Dormond is a Royal House. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious Houses in the Empire. It consists of approximately eighty families although the exact number is unknown. It was the first House of Clan Bardolia. You, as a member of House Dormond, are related to if not outright descended from Galra Royalty.”

“I…I had no idea…” He looks at the floor, stunned.”

Dayak places the riding crop under his chin and raises his head, so he is looking her in the eye. She speaks firmly, but with respect. The sneer is gone for the moment. “You come from an honorable House, young Dormond. You are a marked man, and not just because of those stripes across your cheeks. You are being watched because of the House you come from. You are judged every time you speak and every time you act. People always expect a Dormond to act honorably. They expect your behavior to be above reproach. They expect you to be a leader. That is the heavy burden you must bear.”

“Do not dishonor your family or your House with poor or dishonorable behavior. Need I say more?”

“No…your point is clear.”

She pulls her riding crop to her side and flashes a faint smile at Keith. “Good.”

Hunk also smiles at Keith. “Dude…Galra Royalty? Wow! Galra Keith really _is_ different from regular Keith.”

And just like that, the sneer returns.

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

“Ow! Ow!” Recoiling from yet another swat of her riding crop, Hunk is rapidly losing his patience. He turns to Keith.

“Why does she keep hitting me?”

Smack! “Palen-bol!”

Keith looks at Hunk, shakes his head horizontally, and draws his thumb and index finger over his mouth, from one corner to another.

“Oh, I get it. Don’t talk? Is that it? Royal coward!”

Smack! “Palen-bol! Young Dormond has learned to keep his mouth shut and his ears open. A lesson you should learn!”

Dayak gets into Hunk’s face. “Somewhere in the universe there is a tree working hard to make oxygen so you can breathe. NOW GO APOLOGIZE!”

“I did everything you told me!”

“Yes, but that doughy face of yours is very un-Galra.”

“It’s just my face! And what about Keith?”

“He has the look and the markings of a Galra.”

Hunk thinks and speaks at the same time. “What, he’s your favorite now?”

Dayak swings her crop at Hunk once again, but this time he manages to avoid three successive blows.

“HA!”

Dayak shows off her swordsmanship skills, swinging the crop rapidly as if she were swinging a sword. Somehow, Hunk manages to dodge those blows as well, all while still holding on to the weights.

Dayak pulls the crop back on her shoulder, impressed. “Very good.”

Hunk’s eyes brighten with hope. “Oh, yeah?”

Dayak smacks him across the side of the neck.

“Ow!”

She places the end of her crop under his chin and lifts it up. “Showing complacency?” Smack! Smack! The riding crop snaps once again. “Palen bol!”

“Ow, Ow, Ow!”

Alarms clang throughout Galra Central Command, causing Hunk, Keith, and Dayak to pause.

Keith sets down his weights and approaches Dayak. “We need to…”

“Attend to the Emperor. Go. Return when you have completed your task.”

**The Rock and the Hard Place**

Operations Center, Galra Central Command

“The planet has already been fired upon and we do not have the means to protect ourselves.” The urgency in Commander Bogh’s voice underscores the seriousness of the situation for everyone. “You must send assistance immediately.”

“Understood.”

Having just returned from the Training Studio, Keith and Hunk play catch-up regarding the situation. “What’s going on?”

Lotor turns to Keith. “One of our labor planets is under attack from Sendak and his fleet.”

“Sendak? Not that guy again.” Lance remembers their last run-in with the Galra Commander all too well. “We’ve got to help that planet immediately.”

Lotor ponders his situation. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place and he knows it. “Sendak would have me respond to his attack and neglect my Empire.”

Allura looks to Keith. He can tell what she’s thinking, and he nods to her in agreement. She turns back to the Emperor. “Voltron can handle this while you continue to rule.”

“But Princess, I need you here. Without you…”

“Your plan has waited this long. It can wait a tick longer! Lotor, we’ve talked about this. We must protect your innocent subjects.” The tone in her voice and the expression on her face conveys a very clear message. ‘ _Do what I say and don’t argue with me’_.

“Of course. You’re right.” Lotor knows he has no other course of action. At least none that make any sense.

“We will return as soon as we can.”

As they turn to leave, Keith and Hunk linger behind to speak with Dayak.

“Well, it looks like I’m gonna have to cut my training short.”

Dayak places her hands on her hips and scolds Hunk loudly. “You dishonor me! A fight to the death!”

Hunk quickly backs up towards the other Paladins. “Okay, well, I’ve got to go with them right now. But maybe we can put a pin in that? Reschedule for tomorrow? Or never?”

Keith steps in front of Dayak to keep her from chasing after Hunk. “When we come back, I will return to continue the lesson. You’ve taught Hunk what he needs to know for now. My lessons must continue. There is still much I need to learn, and I look to you to teach me.”

Dayak looks thoughtfully at Keith.

“Very well. The round one is excused from further lessons. I shall see _you_ when you return, young Dormond. The honor of your House depends on it!”

\---------------

Preparing to Enter a Wormhole, Outside Galra Central Command

“Hey, Dayak isn’t _really_ gonna fight me to the death, is she?” His question is met with silence. “Keith?...Is she?”

Pidge can’t pass on an opportunity to give her friend a hard time. “She seemed pretty serious. But, I bet if you ask Lotor nicely, he can have her exiled.”

Keith decides enough is enough. It’s time to put the big guy at ease. He doesn’t want one of the Paladins going into battle with one eye over their shoulder wondering if Dayak is coming at them.

“I already spoke to her, Hunk. You don’t have anything to worry about. You are excused from further lessons. I told her I’d be back. You’re off the hook.”

“Oh, that’d be nice. Yeah, thanks Galra Keith! I’m not really in the mood to die, you know?”

Keith’s strategy works, as Hunk now focuses on the mission at hand. “Uh, speaking of, anyone else scared that we’re about to face Sendak? Sendak ‘who-almost-took-all-the-Lions’ Sendak? And who basically came back from the dead Sendak? That guy?”

Pidge chuckles at Hunk’s discomfort. “Come on, Hunk. We’re Paladins. We got this. Right, Keith?”

“Pidge is right. Let’s focus on our mission.”

\---------------

Space outside Planet Selchiev

Sendak continues his assault on the planet, as the crew of the shield station can only stand by helplessly and watch.

He stops his attack for a moment to send a message to the inhabitants of the planet as well as the crew of the space station.

“Take heed. Galra citizens who side with Lotor will be destroyed.”

As Sendak resumes his attack, a wormhole opens behind his fleet. Prepared for battle, the five Lions emerge and take up defensive positions around the space station.

On the Bridge of his flagship, Sendak refuses to be intimidated. He open a channel to the Paladins and issues a warning in the form of a taunt.

“Here at your new master’s bidding?”

Keith responds in a manner that Sendak will understand.

He issues the command to form Voltron.

\---------------

Petrulian Zone

Acxa guides Haggar’s battleship carefully through the graveyard of ships that circles the White Hole.

_“We’ve arrived at the coordinates, High Priestess. We can’t go any further without suffering the effects of the radiation or losing power.”_

Haggar disagrees with her firmly and directly. “Stay on course.” Under the hood covering her head, her elongated Altean marks begin to glow.

Nervously, Acxa nods to the helmsman to maintain course and speed.

\---------------

Space outside Planet Selchiev

Keith prepares to initiate Voltron’s attack run on Sendak’s fleet.

On Sendak’s flagship, his Executive Officer is prepared for it. “Sir, cannons aimed at Voltron.”

“No, Lieutenant Hepta. Aim them at the shield station.”

Sendak opens a channel to the Paladins and directly threatens them. “I know your true weakness. That you value the lives of others. And I will hammer that weakness until you are crushed beneath my heel.”

Before the Paladins can react, Sendak opens fire. The ion beam zips past Voltron and slams into one of the shield generation panels of the station. It is severely damaged, while others are displaced or knocked loose from the panel array. On the Bridge of the shield station, Lieutenant Lahn feverishly takes stock of the damage.

As does Keith. “Pidge, how bad?”

“Catastrophic bad! Without those panels in place, the planet will be fully exposed!”

“Which means?”

“They’ll have no protection from the radiation bands!”

On the Bridge of his flagship, Sendak takes his status from Lieutenant Hepta.

“The entire planet is doomed.”

“Take us out of here, Lieutenant. We’ve won the day.”

\---------------

Lance is furious. “We can’t let him get away!”

One decaphoeb ago, Keith would have been the first one to go blindly charging after Sendak. Now he knows there are more important things at stake.

“There’s no time, Lance. We’ve got to fix that shield as soon as possible.”

\---------------

Oriande

High Priestess Haggar makes the final approach to Oriande in a shuttle after instructing Acxa to hold the battleship in position just outside the White Hole. She is allowed to approach Oriande by the Guardian as she bears the Mark of the Chosen.

Arriving on the planet, she approaches the Grand Pyramid of the Sages. She is there for the same reason Allura made her recent visit. To learn the secrets of Oriande.

Unlike Allura, who came showing deference to the Life Givers and Sages of Oriande, Haggar is determined to do things on her terms. She will force Oriande to yield its secrets.

She is in no mood for games and riddles.

**The Engineer**

Shield Station above Planet Selchiev

“We can’t leave that planet unprotected.”

Keith brings Voltron in close to the station, just in front of the Bridge, and opens a hailing frequency.

“We are the Paladins of Voltron, working with Emperor Lotor. We’re here to help you. What is the status of your shield system?”

Lieutenant Lahn stands slack-jawed with surprise. Never did he envision a time when he would be working with Voltron. Commander Bogh however is a pragmatist and has a different perspective.

“Paladins, I am Commander Bogh. Our damage report indicates that a panel has been fractured. Our generator is offline and needs rebooting. Other panels have shifted out of their gravitational harnessing and must be repositioned. Only five doboshes until the next solar sequence.”

Keith learned another important lesson over the course of the past decaphoeb…rely on the strength of his teammates. He turns to the Paladin best trained to take the lead under the current circumstances.

“You’re the engineer, Hunk. How should we handle this?”

Hunk does not hesitate, and the speed and tone of his speech conveys the urgency of the situation. “We need to split up. Pidge, you handle the generator system.”

His urgency and positivity rubs off on the team and they respond accordingly. “Then I’m going to need Keith to come with me. That’s a two-person job. If remember correctly Keith is pretty good with electrical engineering.

“Ok, good. Allura, Lance, I need you to re-fuse that fractured plate.”

“Affirmative.”

“You got it!”

“I’m gonna try to get the panels realigned.”

“Ok team. We’ve got our orders from Hunk. Separate and let’s move!”

\---------------

Hunk races over to the first panel and tries to push it back into position. Engaging thrusters to their maximum output the plate moves, slowly at first, then picks up speed.

\---------------

Pidge and Keith make for the generator enclosure. Keith grabs a portable power source and jetpacks to the entrance port to join Pidge. He opens the port and the two make their way inside.

\---------------

Moving the first panel closer to its proper location, Hunk opens a line to Commander Bogh.

“Where does this plate need to be lined up?”

“Paladin, you are moving panel 7-2. It needs to be aligned with panel 8-1. The numbers are clearly marked on the outer edges of all the plates.”

“I see them. Thanks! But those other plates are out of position. There’s no way I’ll be able to move them all myself.”

“I can activate the manual thrusters on some of the plates. It will be slow going, but I…”

His statement is interrupted by the whine of an Ion rifle powering up.

Lieutenant Lahn has heard enough. He points the rifle at Commander Bogh. “First you side with Lotor and get our system attacked by Sendak. Then you willfully work with Voltron, our sworn enemies!”

Bogh is incensed. “Get to your station and begin the thrust sequence.” He points emphatically to Lahn. “That’s an order!”

Hunk, watching the entire scene, cannot believe what he sees and forcefully calls them both out.

“Are you freaking kidding me? PALEN-BOL!”

“Huh?” Lahn and Bogh both go wide-eyed with fright, remembering the admonition they both received from their Clan elders as young children.

Hunk barks at Lahn and Bogh. “You are both a dishonor. Do you fight for yourselves or do you fight for the Galra?”

Shocked that a non-Galra speaks to them about honor and the way of the Galra, they both snap to attention.

“GALRA!”

“Then Victory or Death! Enough of the bickering!”

Lahn, still holding his rifle, looks to Bogh with disdain. “We’re going to die because of Commander Bogh.”

Hunk does not buy into the finger-pointing. “You know, long ago, there was a desperate group of Galra that thought they were going to die. They executed a spear-like attack known as the Killing Thrust. Those soldiers knew what it meant to put their lives on the line. They won the day.”

“ARE YOU READY TO PUT ASIDE YOUR DIFFERENCES AND FIGHT WITH ME?”

Bogh and Lahn, along with their entire Bridge crew, snap to attention and give Hunk the Galra salute.

“VREPIT SA!”

Hunk closes the communication link and sits back in his pilot’s seat, a smile of satisfaction crossing his face.

“Well I guess all that pain did make me smarter.”

“Thanks, Dayak.”

\---------------

The first panel in place, Hunk calls down to Keith and Pidge.

“Pidge, I need you to restore main shield power to get this gravitational harnessing going.”

“We’re on it.”

Pidge and Keith race through the access tunnels to the main control port for the shield generator. Reaching their destination, Pidge points to the power pack.

“Ok Keith, let’s jack that connector into this terminal and we’ll get this thing running in no time.”

Keith makes the connection and monitors the power flow into the generator, while Pidge pulls up the screen to her wrist device and tracks the status of the generator itself.

\---------------

“Ok, broken massive shield plate. Don’t suppose there’s a quick tutorial video on how to fix this, is there?”

Listening to Lance’s rant, Hunk calls over instructions. “Make sure the connection is straight. If it’s even one degree off, the shield will fail.”

“That’s not a tutorial!”

Allura takes a deep breath and speaks calmly. “If you hold them in place, then I could freeze them together. But I don’t think the ice will stand the radiation for very long.”

That’s all it takes to pull Lance back off the ledge. “Hey, maybe after you freeze them, I could use my heat ray to weld them together.”

“Great idea, Lance!”

“Aw. Thanks, Princess! I couldn’t have thought of it without you. I mean really, I think we make a great team. Here we are working together, just the two of us.”

Allura rolls her eyes and speaks firmly. “Let’s _go_ , Lance!”

\---------------

Hunk moves the second displaced panel into place. Despite making progress, they are running out of time.

“This isn’t going fast enough!”

Hearing its Paladins’ frustration, the Yellow Lion manifests a new capability. The Lion forms an additional booster on its back, one large enough to act as a turbocharger.

Given the additional boost, Yellow quickly moves the second panel into position, then races off to get the third.

\---------------

“They’re all in place!”

Hearing this, Blue fires its freeze ray, tacking the panel components in place. Completing her work on the temporary ice welds, she turns the action over to Lance.

Lance lifts Red off the panel and gains altitude, taking a position next to Allura. “Hope this works!” Red uses its heat ray and makes several complete, neat, and clean welds. When completed, the panel is reassembled and structurally sound.

“We did it! Well done, Lance!”

\---------------

Hunk observes their work while moving the last of the panels into position. “Nice job, guys.”

Slamming the third loose panel into position, he calls the generator crew. “Pidge, you ready? We’re almost at the radiation belt.”

Pidge furiously manipulates generator settings while Keith monitors the power flow needed to restart the generator itself.

“Hold on. I just need a one more dobosh.”

**Desecration of Oriande**

Oriande

Haggar is confronted by the statues of the Sages of Oriande. Rather than provide an offering of her good intentions, as Allura did with the Compass Stone, she kneels on the floor and opens a dark magic portal.

Deeming this act to be proof of Haggar’s unworthiness to be in the temple, the Sages surround her and prepare to attack with their spears. It proves to be the final act of the Sages and Life Givers of Oriande.

Revealing the true darkness of her intentions, Haggar chants an invocation that traps the spirits of the Sages and Life Givers in the Dark Portal. Observing this from a distance, the Guardian launches an attack of its own on the High Priestess.

Like the Sages and Life Givers before it, the Guardian is trapped by Haggar’s dark magic.

The secrets of Oriande now lay open to the witch, with nothing in place to stop her from acquiring the knowledge of the ancients.

\---------------

**Life Giver**

Shield Station above Planet Selchiev

Lance looks out over the horizon of the planet and doesn’t like what he sees.

“Uh, guys, that radiation belt is getting closer!”

Hunk slams the final panel into position. “Last piece in place. Fire up that power, Pidge.”

Pidge makes three button presses on the screen of her wrist device then turns to look down the access corridor. The circuits lining the corridor begin to sequentially come to life, illuminating it in a faint purple glow.

Power pulses out from the central generator core into the panels themselves. Fully charged, the panels create the shield that protects the planet from the heavy solar radiation emanating from its star.

“Shield’s up! Readings indicate the generator is functioning normally.”

Believing the generator to be capable of functioning on its own, Keith disconnects the power pack from the terminal. The station generator sputters from the power fluctuation caused by the removal of the power pack and immediately shuts down. As power to the panels is cut off, the protective shield drops.

Seeing the shield fail, Lance looks toward the station. “What’s going on with the panels?”

To Lance’s horror, he sees power beginning to arc at the main weld of the panel he and Allura repaired. The connections within the repaired panel are already tenuous at best. The fluctuating power levels strain the integrity of those connections. One of the connections displaces by one degree, causing an electrical short-circuit within the panel.

It’s the very scenario Hunk warned Lance about, and Lance knows it.

The Blue Lion is dangerously close to the weld and should it rupture it will be caught in the blast radius. Knowing an explosive rupture is exactly what will happen, he calls out to Allura.

“ALLURA! GET OUT OF THERE!”

Lance puts Red into full forward acceleration and races towards Blue. He slams into the Blue Lion just as the arcing electrical energy reaches their altitude. The Blue Lion is spared from the impact of the electrical power arc.

The Red Lion is not so lucky. It takes the full force of the electrical charge and the concussive impact from the resulting explosion caused by the cascading rupture of the repairs.

While the Red Lion itself survives the explosion, its Paladin is not as fortunate.

A horrified Allura helplessly watches the scene unfold before her.

“LANCE!”

Without hesitation she bolts out of Blue’s cockpit and jetpacks over to a now drifting Red Lion, calling out as she goes.

“Lance, please respond!”

\---------------

Hunk can’t believe his eyes and mutters to himself. “The broken plate shorted out. Lance isn’t responding. Allura jumped out of her Lion. What else could possibly go wrong right now?”

Looking to his left, he finds the answer to his question. A piece of the ruptured panel has broken free.

Hunk races to it, and in a final attempt to salvage the situation tries to move it back into place. How he will get it to stay…he hasn’t quite figured that out.

One detail at a time.

“Pidge, what happened to the power? We’re almost at the radiation belt!”

Keith reconnects the portable power pack and frantically works the controls to get it back up and running to supply power to the generator. Pidge once again is furiously working the controls to the generator itself.

“We know, Hunk. We’re on it.”

Keith continues to work furiously at the controls. “Come on, baby. Don’t fail me now…”

\---------------

Cockpit of the Red Lion

Allura discovers a gruesome scene when she enters the cockpit. Lance is slumped over in the pilot’s seat, blood running from his ears and nose.

Allura gasps at the sight. “No. Please no.”

His heart has stopped, he is not breathing, and he is beginning to turn blue.

Lance is clinically dead.

Allura refuses to accept that fact. Not wanting to risk injury by removing his helmet, she leans him back against her and places her hand over the top front of his helmet.

Concentrating, Allura draws from the life giver skills she acquired during her visit to Oriande. Glowing a bright light blue, she focuses her energy on healing Lance. Soon, the blue halo engulfs Lance as well.

As the healing power courses through him, the Red Lion senses a change for the good. It’s eyes, dull and lifeless just a moment ago due to the death of its Paladin, now flash a bright yellow.

Lance gasps for air and struggles to fill his lungs, as his eyes flicker open.

\---------------

Shield Station above Planet Selchiev

Hunk slams the loose piece of the fractured panel in place.

Without Red’s heat ray, he is forced to hold the piece in place with the Yellow Lion.

“Ok team. Let’s try this again!”

\---------------

On the Bridge of the station, Commander Bogh is resigned to his fate. He starts the final countdown.

“Radiation exposure in four…”

“PIDGE! HIT IT NOW!”

“…three…”

Pidge initiates the power sequence for the generator “Come on.” This time, Keith leaves the power pack connected to the generator.

“…two…” The Bridge of the station is bathed in a yellow light from the oncoming radiation belt that rapidly increases in intensity.

“…one.”

Bogh, Lahn, and the entire shield station crew close their eyes and draw what they believe is their last breath.

Keith and Pidge watch as power surges from the generator, down the corridor, to the panels.

Using his new-found turbo-thruster, Hunk strains as he pushes his Lion to hold the loose panel in place.

In the Red Lion, Allura tends to the stricken Lance.

In the shield array, the connections within the fractured plate are stressed once again, but this time they hold. With the power levels holding steady, the shield activates a split tick before the radiation slams into it.

Hunk keeps the thrusters of the Yellow Lion at full throttle. He knows that the slightest misalignment of the loose panel will cause the shield to fail, causing the deaths of thousands of innocent souls.

“Come on, Hunk…no pressure…”

For the next five doboshes, the shield holds.

\---------------

The radiation belt moves on. The planet and the station, for the time being, are out of danger.

Hunk finally relaxes the throttle on the Yellow Lion and calls down to his team members.

“Great job, team!”

Pidge and Keith slump exhausted against the walls of the access tunnel. An enthusiastically happy Pidge begins to pummel Keith in the shoulder. “It worked! Keith, it worked!”

Laughing, Keith does his best to shield himself from the Green Paladin. “Hey, Pidge, watch it! You hit almost as hard as Dayak!”

On the Bridge of the shield station, a grateful-to-be-alive Commander Bogh gives his next commands to an equally grateful crew. “Shielding complete. Recharge and prepare for the next radiation sequence. Repair teams to the damaged panel and generator.”

He looks at Lahn. “It is time to relieve the Paladins from their burden.”

\---------------

Cockpit of the Red Lion

Lance opens his eyes and he struggles to comprehend what just happened to him.

His last memory was of a searing pain ravaging his body. Then he was floating, disembodied, in space. He remembers meeting a presence, a female presence, who spoke two sentences to him.

“Return to your body, my Paladin. This is not your time.”

Turning his head, he gazes into the eyes of Allura. “You…you saved me.”

Allura says nothing for a long moment. She doesn’t have to. Her eyes speak for her. Gripping his arm tightly, she finally breaks her silence.

“I owed you one.”

\---------------

Thirty doboshes later, the Paladins gather on the Bridge of the station and are greeted by Commander Bogh. The Commander singles out Hunk for special praise. “Thank you for reminding us what it means to be Galra.”

“Vrepit Sa!”

Hunk returns the salute. “Vrepit Sa!” He pauses for a moment then smiles. “Man, that’s weird to say.”

\---------------

Taking their leave, the Paladins begin the return trip to Galra Central Command. Allura reaches out to Coran and instructs him on where to open the wormhole.

Pidge reaches out to her big friend. “Nice work out there, Hunk! That Galra training really toughened you up.”

What Pidge doesn’t realize is that Hunk has placed the Yellow Lion on automatic pilot. Between the Galra training and the stress of their recent experience, he is exhausted and sleeping soundly.

**The Gathering Storm**

Oriande

Haggar departs the Grand Pyramid of the Sages, motes of Quintessence emanating from her body. She pulls the hood of her cloak back, closes her eyes, and lifts her head.

Her skin turns color, from the purple flesh tones she took on the day she was corrupted by the Dark Entity, to her pre-corruption flesh tone. Her sclera turns from a solid yellow to white, her iris and pupils now clearly visible.

Her desecration of Oriande is complete. No longer does the Pyramid hold the secrets of the Sages and the Life Givers, for she has stolen their very souls.

She lifts the hood back over her head, boards her shuttle and leaves the desecrated planet.

For the time being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are building up towards several key moments in the story, and I really wish we would have seen even a fraction of these in canon. Keith is coming into his own as a leader...he still has a long way to go, but he is learning key leadership principles such as trusting your teammates, especially when you don't have the answers. He trusted Hunk to take the lead during the shield station operation, and don't think the rest of the Paladins didn't take note of that. Just look at Pidge's reaction with Keith at the end of the operation. She's been the one who kept pushing him and pushing him to trust his team and not feel he has to do everything himself. When he finally took her advice, she was over the moon. We were deprived of the opportunity to see these types of moments and Keith's growth as a person and a leader, and, yes, I'm just a tad salty about that. Apologies for the rant.
> 
> Anyway, I have a few surprises in store for the next chapter, and I hope you all come back for it. If you've read this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Comments are gladly accepted, and I do reply back. Be well and be safe, friends!


	11. The Elders Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith continues his education regarding the Galra under the tutelage of Dayak. He and Lotor find common ground and begin to bond, until Keith stumbles onto an unpleasant truth about the Galra Emperor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a critical chapter for the series, not just because of the worldbuilding for the Galra, but because of the points raised that come into play not only throughout the rest of this work, but also throughout the rest of the series.
> 
> This is a non-canon chapter, as only one very small scene appeared in the broadcast version of VLD.
> 
> Included is a homage to my favorite scene from Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan (original cast).

**The Emperors**

Corridor, Galra Central Command

One quintant has passed since the Paladins return from Selchiev, and Keith is troubled. Making his way down the hallway to the Training Studio on Galra Central Command, his mind is a million miles away.

He did not have time for the impact of Dayak’s bombshell revelation to sink in before the Paladins left for Selchiev to take on Sendak. Since their return, he’s done nothing but mull it over.

A little over a decaphoeb ago he was just an Earth-born orphan who somehow got sucked into an intergalactic war that has been raging for almost 10,000 decaphoebs. Now he knows he is a half-breed Galra and a member of Clan Bardolia. House Dormond, his blood House, is one of the Galra Royal Houses, which makes him related in some way he still does not understand to four of the previous Galra Emperors.

He also knows his Galra family name. Uhler. His uncle, Meltok, is his House Elder, and he has an aunt and three living cousins out in the Empire...somewhere.

The implications are staggering.

He’s sworn Hunk to secrecy and has said nothing about it to the other Paladins. He’s concerned about their collective reaction to the fact he’s related to the Emperors. He also doesn’t want to put up with any of Lance’s nonsense should he find out.

He is very concerned about Allura’s reaction. If she had found out three phoebs ago she would have thrown him out the nearest airlock, and she’s strong enough that she could have done it. But, perhaps now it won’t be so bad since she seems to be cozying up with Lotor.

He enters the Training Studio twenty doboshes early and finds Dayak waiting for him. He takes a deep breath, sighs loudly, and mumbles to himself. “I wonder what surprises she has in store for me today.”

\---------------

Training Studio, Galra Central Command

She waits in the Training Studio, wondering if he will appear for a second training session as he promised. She reflects on her last encounter with someone from the young Paladin’s House. It’s an encounter she remembers vividly. She closes her eyes and takes a long, slow exhale.

Since Zarkon initiated his ‘action’ against the Dormonds, they’ve been in hiding or active members of the resistance cells, to include the Blade of Marmora. The Blade of Marmora…oh, my young Dormond, if you only knew.

Hearing footsteps approaching the studio, she pulls herself erect, hands behind her back, riding crop clutched tightly in her right hand. The door opens, and the young Paladin enters. She studies him carefully, to gauge any reaction he may be showing to the news she shared with him in their last session.

He maintains a poker face, but she can tell…he is deeply troubled by it.

She checks her timepiece and smiles.

“Twenty doboshes early, young Dormond. Right on time. Shall we begin?”

\---------------

Training Studio Lesson: The Emperors of the Galra Empire

Keith stands before Dayak, snaps to attention, and bows respectfully. “Yes, Dayak. I’ve returned as I said I would.” He lifts his head and looks her in the eye. “I come her freely. There is much I need to learn.”

She stares directly into his eyes, as if she is burrowing into his soul. His formality both surprises and pleases her. “You arrive on time, and with a desire to learn. This may yet be a good quintant. Tell me…what are your thoughts after learning about your ties to the Emperors?”

“May I speak freely, Dayak?”

She nods, her hands still behind her back, riding crop at the ready.

“I have so many questions, I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know which one to ask first.”

“Pick one, young Dormond.”, she said, seeming to delight in his indecisiveness.

“I want to know about…I want to learn more about the Dormond Emperors. Please.”

“Then you should learn about all of the Emperors.” She snaps her riding crop into her left palm and immediately launches into her lesson.

“Right! Emperor Brogar is regarded as the first Emperor of the Galra Empire. He was the Emperor of Diabazaal at the time we became a space-faring race, and he led the conquest of Feyev. With that conquest, the Galra Empire as we know it today was born.”

“To honor the creation of the Empire, and as a monument to himself, he ordered the construction of the Kral Zera complex on the highest peak of the planet. Mount Perdiap. It took ten decaphoebs for the complex to be completed.”

“The symbolism of the Kral Zera and its placement on Feyev resonates within all Galra citizens. The Kral Zera represents the absolute power of the Galra Emperor. The harshness of Feyev symbolizes the harshness with which Galra Emperors must rule their domains.”

“The steps of the Kral Zera symbolize the toil and strain of leadership. They represent the long climb it took for the Emperor to reach the pinnacle of the Empire. And at the pinnacle of the Kral Zera is that symbolic pinnacle of the Empire. The Eternal Flame.”

“The Eternal Flame of the Kral Zera represents the Emperor themselves. It symbolizes the burning fire of strength the Emperor possesses. And it represents the searing flame of combat…

“…that burns away imperfections.”

Feeling Dayak’s harsh glare bore into him, Keith casts his eyes downward in contrition. “My apologies for speaking out of turn, Dayak.”

Dayak’s normal instinct would be to swat him for being so impudent. But she can tell it was not his intent to be disrespectful. Instead she gives him a hard stare and smacks her riding crop into the palm of her left hand.

“So, you have been paying attention. Very good.”

“Brogar appointed an Archivist to maintain and manage the Kral Zera. The Archivist is the keeper of Galra traditions related to royal succession. He maintains the holy site and is viewed as a holy person. The current Archivist is very old. He predates Zarkon.”

“Emperor Brogar reigned for 300 decaphoebs. Before his death he codified, with the help of the Archivist, the process for Royal Succession. Upon the death of Emperor Brogar, the Archivist summoned the leaders of the Galra Empire to gather on Feyev at the Kral Zera. At the beginning of the succession ceremony, the Eternal Flame representing the deceased Emperor was extinguished. For someone to become the next Emperor, they had to ascend the steps of the Kral Zera and, with a torch procured from the fire basin at the foot of the pyramid, relight the Eternal Flame.”

“Had there been contention for the throne, the matter would have been settled by the honorable rite of combat.”

“Upon the passing of Brogar, another member of House Dormond, General Mieszko, ascended the steps. Her ascension was unopposed. Emperor Mieszko ruled for 530 decaphoebs and greatly expanded the Empire. She established and codified the laws that govern the occupied planets.”

“Mieszko was succeeded by Olturan of Clan Mazur, House Barta, who ruled for 250 decaphoebs. Theirs was the first contested ascension of an Emperor. All other ascensions from that one forward were contested.”

For the next six vargas, Dayak proceeds to run down the list of Emperors and their accomplishments (in agonizing detail) for Keith. Cheshot, the third Dormond Emperor, ruled for 600 decaphoebs; Wybaran of Clan Wojcik, House Zikan who ruled for 350 decaphoebs; Torgau of Clan Cerny, House Nekovar ruled for 350 decaphoebs; Thurig, the last Dormond Emperor, ruled for 640 decaphoebs. Thurig’s reign was the longest served by a Galra Emperor until Zarkon.

**The Ascension of Zarkon**

“Upon the death of Emperor Thurig, the contest for Emperor came down to a fight between General Bydgosz of House Dormond, and General Zarkon of Clan Sidonia, House Cynwid. General Bydgosz was injured in combat a few quintants prior to the Kral Zera ceremony, but she acquitted herself well against Zarkon. Zarkon however defeated Bydgosz in an epic battle on the steps of the Kral Zera that lasted for vargas.”

“Zarkon worked tirelessly to hold the Empire together, consolidating power and working with the Clans and Houses to address old grievances. Zarkon led the Galra for 10,000 decaphoebs, until he was succeeded by his son and blood heir, Lotor.”

Keith goes cold listening to her explanation of Zarkon’s ascension to the throne. Despite the commitment he made to himself to keep his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut, he decides to speak up.

“Work with the Clans and Houses to address old grievances? Address them in what way? I can only imagine what _that_ was like. I apologize Dayak, but Zarkon was a brutal genocidal maniac. What he did throughout the Empire was criminal. The best thing that could have happened to him did happen. He’s no longer here. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I am thankful he is not of my House.”

Keith braces himself for the crop. But it never comes.

Dayak gives him a thoughtful look and folds her hands in front of her, riding crop hanging down loosely in her right hand.

“That will be all for today, young Dormond. I believe you have Paladin duties to attend to. Report back here at the same time tomorrow.”

**Boys will be Boys**

Fitness Center, Galra Central Command

Completing a second grueling quintant of training under Dayak, Keith makes a stop at the dueling ring to blow off steam with some swordplay. He comes across Lotor blowing off some steam of his own, engaged in a sword sparring match with an obviously overmatched opponent.

Keith leans against the wall just outside the ring and watches the fight with interest, a bemused smile on his face.

Disposing of two straight sparring partners in short order, Lotor notices his audience and approaches him.

“Ah Keith! What brings you here to the bowels of Galra Central Command?”

“Quintant two of training with Dayak. I used to think my chief instructor at the Garrison on Earth was tough. Commander Iverson has nothing on Dayak. I came here to relieve some stress.”

“Hmm…” Lotor’s eyes twinkle with a sudden thought. “I hear you are a decent swordsman. Care to have a go?”

Keith curls his lips into a cocky smile. “I am pretty decent if I do say so myself. I’m certainly no pushover like the last two stiffs you fought, if sword fighting is what you call what you were doing out there. Are you sure, you can handle someone who knows how to use one of these?” Keith pulls his Marmoran Blade, forms it into a sword and twirls it.

Lotor spins his own sword in response, his eyes narrowed, his voice taunting, a cocky smile of his own across his face. “Oh, I can handle you, Paladin. The question is, can you handle me?”

Keith tosses his pack to the side, narrows his own eyes, and taunts back. “You?! Oh, it’s on. Let’s do this!”

Stepping onto the floor and saluting each other, the two commence their sparring match. Keith proves to be a much better fighter than Lotor expected.

He matches Lotor strike for strike, parry for parry. As Lotor ramps up his attacks and moves into his more advanced moves, Keith adapts and counters them. He remembers his sword fighting lessons with Kolivan and varies his approach so as not to create a predictable attack pattern. After twenty doboshes of sparring, Lotor decides to test Keith’s ability to fight under mental duress.

He begins taunting him, all the while keeping up his attacks.

“Not bad, Keith. Not good, but not bad. Your footwork is sloppy.”

The taunting doesn’t faze Keith one bit. He smiles and gives it right back to Lotor as he parries and counterstrikes. “Who taught _you_ how to fight? Your grandmother?”

“My grandmother could take you with one claw tied behind her back!”

Lotor executes a forward flip over Keith, swinging at him while airborne. Landing on his feet he pivots quickly, striking out with two powerful blows. “Ah ha!”

Keith easily parries the strikes. “Ah ha what? What kind of move was that?”

“The kind you didn’t expect, Paladin!”

The Black Paladin chuckles loudly as he goes on the attack. “Ah…a desperation move!”

Lotor doesn’t find it funny as his strategy of taunting Keith to get under his skin begins to backfire on him. He increases the speed of his strikes against Keith. “You DARE mock me?”

“Oh, I more than dare! What are you going to do about it?”

The two continue the fight in this manner for the next varga, hurling taunts and insults at one another non-stop. Despite the verbal abuse they heap on each other, the match remains a simple sparring session. Until Keith takes the taunting one step too far.

“I fought your father. He was a much better sword fighter.”

An immediate change comes over Lotor. His face flushes with anger, and all restraint vanishes. “DON’T YOU COMPARE ME TO HIM! I AM NOT MY FATHER!”

The fight turns from a sparring session into an outright blood duel. Lotor flies into a rage and is the first to draw blood, slicing Keith’s leg just above the knee. The wound is not deep, but it is deep enough to draw a howl of pain from the Black Paladin.

His own eyes flashing with anger, Keith increases the intensity of his attacks and draws blood from Lotor. The sparring session increases in intensity and devolves into serious combat.

\---------------

On their way back to the Castle of Lions, Allura and Lance notice a crowd gathering at the dueling ring and stop to see what is going on. Allura is stunned by the sight in front of her, seeing the blood lust in the yellow eyes of both fighters. Watching what appears to be a fight to the death, the fighters already bearing bloody wounds, she decides to step in to stop the madness.

Pushing past the crowd and onto the floor of the dueling ring, she bellows at the top of her voice.

“WHAT THE QUIZNAK ARE YOU TWO DOING! Stop this now before you KILL EACH OTHER!”

The vehemence in her voice causes the fighters to freeze in place. Cautiously lowering their swords and turning their heads, they see an angry, red-faced Allura striding over to them.

Her first victim is Lotor.

She thrusts her index finger less than an inch from his nose and gives him a scolding the likes of which he’s not encountered since his youth. “ _You_ have work to do in the interests of your Empire. I _suggest_ you get to it!”

She wheels and sticks that same finger inches from Keith’s face. “AND YOU…If you are so interested in fighting, get cleaned up and meet us over at the Castle! Lance has some simulations that should get the aggression out of you!”

She storms off the floor. As she approaches Lance, he looks at her wide-eyed and asks, “I have simulations…?”

Before he can finish, she wheels on him. “YES, YOU DO! NOW LET’S GO!”

Lance turns to face Keith and Lotor. Wide-eyed with fright, he shrugs his shoulders and holds up his hands, palms towards them as if to say, ‘I had nothing to do with this.’ He then turns to hurry after Allura.

Dumbfounded, Keith and Lotor turn and face each other.

“Is it just me, or did she seem to be very angry with us?”

“It’s not you. She is definitely pissed.” Keith sheaths his blade and extends his hand. “Good fight, by the way.”

Lotor sheaths his own blade, takes Keith’s hand, and smiles. “Thank you. To you as well. I’ve never had a match go that long. It was…exhilarating! Sorry about that nasty gash on your leg.”

Keith points to his leg. “This? No worries. It’s just a scratch.”

**The Royal Court**

Training Studio, Galra Central Command

Quintant three of his training program begins with a lecture on the Galra Royal Court and Court etiquette.

“The Galra Royal Court has a defined structure, and within that structure everyone plays a role. It is up to each Emperor to decide if any other roles are added, or how directly each role communicates with the other.”

“The High Priestess is the senior Mage within the Empire. She is our religious leader. This role was most recently occupied by High Priestess Haggar. Emperor Lotor has yet to name a new High Priestess.”

Keith can’t help but notice Dayak audibly hiss Haggar’s name whenever she speaks it. “What happened to Haggar? And where do her Druids fit in?”

Dayak looks sternly down her nose at Keith. “No one knows. As you yourself said, good riddance to bad rubbish! I never did like that woman, and I use _that_ term loosely. Monster would be a better description. The High Priestess is supposed to guide the citizens of the Empire in the worship of the Supreme Spirit. That witch did anything but during her reign of terror. Her Druids are abominations of her own creation. Hopefully with her gone they will be no more.”

She snaps her riding crop into her left hand. “Now, no more interruptions! I haven’t used this in two quintants. Don’t force me to use it today!”

Keith stills his tongue, but his mind is a jumble of thoughts. Dayak’s candor when speaking about Haggar is both shocking and…refreshing. He’s curious to see what else she has to say about Zarkon’s Royal Court.

“The Chief of Staff is a General in the Galra military, and they are the Emperor’s Adjutant. They handle the business end of the military. That was General Gnov’s position during Zarkon’s reign.”

Keith can’t still his tongue at the mention of her name. “We met at the Kral Zera.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“The strategic and tactical side of the military is handled by the Chairman of the Armed Forces. Under Zarkon it was Admiral Trag. Emperor Lotor has asked the Admiral to remain in that capacity, and he’s agreed. Many thought the Admiral would be one of the contenders at the recent Kral Zera, but he chose instead to serve the one who ascended the steps and lit the flame. The Admiral is an honorable man, well respected in the Empire, not just in the military.”

“You say that with a great deal of respect.”

Dayak looks Keith directly in the eye and drops a mild surprise on him. “The Admiral is well respected throughout the Empire, especially in military circles. Very few people know this, but he is of House Dormond.”

She smacks her riding crop in her left hand again and glares at Keith with her dark penetrating eyes, signaling she will not tolerate further interruption.

“Other members of the Emperor’s inner circle include the Archivist, the Dayak, which is the role I fill and will continue to fill, and the heads of the Royal Clans. They are Clan Bardolia, Clan Mazur, Clan Wojcik, Clan Cerny, and Clan Sidonia, which is the Clan of Emperors Zarkon and Lotor.”

“The manner in which one addresses members of the Royal Court is prescribed and must be followed. For example, one addresses the Emperor as Sire when speaking to them. Not Your Highness, not Your Majesty. Sire.”

“What if the Emperor is not a man?”

Swat! “Call the Emperor Sire!”

“Even if the Emperor is a woman?”

Swat! “Even if the Emperor is an ice worm! Must I think for you too?”

Keith rubs his head to ease the sting of the blows from the crop. “Call the Emperor Sire. Got it!”

“One refers to other members of the Royal Court by their titles. Clan leaders are referred to by their Clan names, not their given names. For example, if the Emperor were to summon the head of Clan Bardolia, they would summon Bardolia.”

“Military members are referred to by their rank and given name. If responding to an order, the correct response is a salute and the words ‘yes sir.’”

“Even if the superior officer is a woman.”

Swat! “Did your brain matter suddenly become impervious to learning and common sense? You seem determined to feel the crop today, young Dormond!”

Keith rubs his head once again to work off the sting of the crop. “Right, respond yes sir regardless of the superior officer’s gender. Got it.”

“By the Spirits, finally! There may be hope for you yet, slim as that hope may be!” Dayak pauses and takes a deep breath, never once taking her eyes off Keith. Exhaling in the form of a loud sigh, she continues the lesson.

“When one presents themselves to the Emperor in a formal court setting, they wait to be announced. Once announced they are summoned by the Emperor with the command ‘Approach’. They approach the Emperor and kneel. Their gaze is directed to the floor until the Emperor grants permission to speak. They then raise their head and address the Emperor directly. Once finished, they avert their eyes to the floor. When the Emperor dismisses them, they shall salute while kneeling, rise, and retrace their steps out of the hall.”

“When addressing the Emperor in a non-court setting, it is proper to salute before addressing them. It is not necessary to wait for the Emperor to grant permission to speak, since in a military setting time is of the essence.”

“When addressing a military officer, it is proper to salute and then state your business. When your business is completed, salute and depart.”

**Clan Bardolia**

Sensing the need for a change in training tactics, Dayak attaches her riding crop to her belt and approaches Keith. “Walk with me, young Dormond. We’re going to discuss your Clan. You are free to ask questions at any time.”

As they walk, Dayak begins to share some information that answers many of the questions that have been on Keith’s mind for quintants.

“Clan Bardolia is the oldest Clan in the Galra tribe. It goes back to the earliest days of the Galra on Diabazaal. There are twenty Houses in the Clan, of which House Dormond is the oldest.”

“So…Dormond is the oldest House in the oldest Clan in the Empire. How far back does that go?”

“I’m not certain. At least twenty millennia.”

“Wait…Clan Bardolia goes back 20,000 decaphoebs?”

“Correct. Your House is that old. It is sometimes referred to as the House of Four Emperors. Keep in mind that does not count the Emperors from House Dormond before the founding of the Galra Empire.”

“Dayak, what is it about the Dormonds that allowed four of their number to become Emperor of the Galra Empire?”

She looks off into the distance. “I don’t have that answer for you. You need to find a House or Family Elder to explain it. I do know that the Dormonds have a philosophy and discipline they’ve nurtured over the millennia that other houses do not. They possess a sense of honor that is second to none, and they are brilliant military strategists and tacticians.”

“These traits are measured in the Agotian Trials. All pure-blood members of the Royal Clans, and some half-breed members go through them.”

Keith’s interest suddenly stirs. “Agotian Trials? What are those?”

“A series of tests administered over the course of three quintants. They are given when a child reaches the age of fourteen. It consists of a physical component, which includes fitness testing, hand-to-hand combat testing, and swordplay. There are mental components that include testing of knowledge, logic and problem solving, and strategy. Historically, members of House Dormond excelled in all of these.”

Dayak points to Keith’s Marmoran Blade. “When you picked up a sword for the first time, did it feel strange to you, or did it feel natural?”

Keith draws the Blade, extends it to its sword configuration, and spins it. “It felt natural, like it was an extension of my arm. It was as if I knew instinctively what to do with it.”

“That is the Dormond in you showing through. Swordplay is in your blood.”

As he sheaths his Blade a thought pops into Keith’s head, and he mulls it over for a bit. “Dayak…what would it take for me to go through the Agotian Trials?”

Her eyes shoot open wide in surprise. “About ten decaphoebs of training, most of which would be devoted to you un-learning all of the things you’ve learned incorrectly! You are not even close to being ready to take them!”

“With all due respect, Dayak…you didn’t answer my question.”

“Humph! In your case it will take the express permission of the Emperor. If you insist, I will speak with him and arrange for you to take them. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

**Sins of the Father**

Lotor’s Private Study, Galra Central Command

One varga later, Dayak stands before Lotor to present Keith’s request. “Sire, the Black Paladin is requesting permission to take the Agotian Trials.”

Lotor cocks his head and looks quizzically at Dayak. “Is he ready to take them?”

“In my opinion, no. Yet, there is something about him…a burning desire to prove himself that I haven’t seen in a student in quite some time.”

“Cockiness may be the word you are searching for, Dayak. Our young friend seems to be full of himself at times.”

“With respect, Sire, it is not cockiness. He is confident, yes, but not in all things. He is still unsure about himself in many ways. It’s what drives his thirst for knowledge about his Galra roots. It may be an interesting exercise to allow him to take the Agotian Trials. Although it is against my better judgement.”

“Hmm…you may be right. Very well, administer the Agotian Trials to the Black Paladin. But do so privately. I do not want this to get out. If the Agotian Trials go horribly wrong, the damage to his reputation, and possibly his psyche, will be devastating.”

“And if they go well?”

“We let the entire Empire know.”

“Even though he is a Dormond?”

“ _Especially_ because he is a Dormond. My family has enough Dormond blood on its hands because of my father. It’s time I make amends for the horrible things they have done.”

“Sire, you are not responsible for the sins of your father. You did what you could to mitigate them. No one blames you for what Zarkon did.”

“If only that were true, Dayak.” He turns in his chair and wistfully stares out into the blackness of space. “If only that were true.”

**The Agotian Trials**

The Agotian Trials Quintant One - Morning

Following two more intense quintants of training with Dayak, Keith prepares to report to the testing site for Quintant One of the Agotian Trials. Meeting him in the walkway leading to Galra Central Command, Coran and the Paladins wish him luck as he departs.

“Which phases are being tested today, Keith?”

“Fitness testing and hand-to-hand combat, Coran. Dayak told me they prefer to open and close the trials with the physical components.”

“Good luck, Keith. You got this!

“Thanks, Pidge!”

\---------------

The Agotian Trials, Quintant One, Evening

Nine vargas later, Hunk and Lance are called by Dayak to the Galra Central Command side of the dock where the Castle of Lions is berthed. Moments later, a bruised, battered, and sore Keith is helped onto the Castle and into his quarters. Allura and Pidge are called to tend to his cuts and bruises.

“He’s beaten up, but I’ve seen him in worse shape. He’ll be fine.”

“Fine? Allura are you sure?” Pidge turns to Keith. “Keith, how did you get these injuries? How are you going to survive two more days if you come back looking like this? These are cumulative effect injuries we’re talking about here!”

“These are from four vargas of hand-to-hand combat.” Keith glances up at her, and his mouth curls into a smile. “Yeah, I look bad, Pidge, but you should see the other guys.”

Allura smiles and gently pats him on the shoulder. “He’ll be fine.”

Hunk isn’t quite so sure. He puts his hand behind his head as he stands and looks Keith over. “Yeah, at this rate there won’t be much left to him when this is over, but what is left will be fine. Somehow, that doesn’t seem quite right.”

\---------------

The Agotian Trials, Quintant 2, Morning

Keith awakens, stiff, sore, and not quite as cocky as he was the quintant before. Once again he is sent off by the Paladins, but even their enthusiasm is toned down.

“Dayak tells me today is all about Knowledge and Problem Solving. Whatever that means.”

“Oh, I know exactly what’s in store for you.” Seeing Keith’s quizzical look, Lance elaborates on his theory of the Agotian Trials.

“If I were scheduling these trials, I’d get you physically beaten up on Quintant One. Then on Quintant Two I’d put you through a four or five varga written and oral examination with no breaks. Then, when I’ve fried your brain, I will give you a set of impossible problems to solve, one right after another. By the time the day is over, your brain will be toast. Or mush. Not quite sure which.”

Keith’s shoulders slump and the entire team turns to give Lance an unappreciative stare. Pidge adjusts her glasses as she scolds him. “Nice pep talk there, Lance.”

“Hey, no problem. Happy to help. Well, good luck, Keith!”

\---------------

The Agotian Trials, Quintant 2, Evening

Keith staggers back onto the Castle of Lions, under his own power this time, and meets the team in the Paladins Lounge. Tossing his bag aside, he throws himself onto the large sectional and groans loudly.

“Keith, what’s wrong?”

He throws his arm over his closed eyes to further shield them from the light. “Sorry, Allura. Migraine. Can’t think straight.”

“Hold on.” Allura sits next to him, places her hands on either side of his head, and gently massages his temples. A faint blue glow comes from her hands as she works to ease his pain. After a few doboshes, the headache subsides.

Keith opens his eyes and smiles at her. “Thank you, Allura.”

“You’re welcome. So, how did it go today?”

“Well, it was exactly the way Lance described it. I hate to say this, but well done, Lance.” Still laying down, he turns his head and points his finger at Lance. “Don’t make me regret saying that.” He struggles to sit up and continues his summary of the day’s events.

“Let’s see. There was a five-varga test, followed immediately by situational problems. One of them had no winning solution other than dying. I wound up taking the damn thing three times.”

“Ah, the no-win scenario. Yeah, I kept drawing those at the Garrison during leadership training. So, why did they make you take it three times?”

“I asked to take it again, Hunk. Twice.”

“Keith, are you insane? You said yourself it’s a no-win scenario? Who goes back for something like that three times? What did you do? How gruesomely did you die?”

Picking up a piece of fruit, Keith takes a large bite out of it. “In the end I didn’t die, Hunk.”

“But, it’s a no-win scenario!”

“I don’t believe in the no-win scenario. I figured out a way not to die.” He takes another bite out of the fruit.

“What? How?”

Keith and Pidge lock eyes, and after Keith winks at her Pidge starts to laugh. “Keith, you didn’t…”

Keith rolls his eyes upward and puts an angelic expression on his face. “I might have…changed a few things.”

Lance crosses his arms, scowling. “You cheated.”

Keith takes another bite out of his fruit and smiles as he turns to Lance. “I don’t like to lose.”

\---------------

Agotian Trials, Quintant 3, Morning

“Last quintant, Keith! Are you excited? What are the challenges today?” Knowing the last two quintants have been miserable, Hunk makes it a point to be upbeat for Keith’s sake.

“Strategy and swordplay. At this point, I just want to get it over with.”

Lance pats him on the shoulder. “Well, they’re testing two of your strengths on the last quintant. You’ll do fine.”

\---------------

Agotian Trials, Quintant 3, Evening

Keith drags himself onto the Castle of Lions and into the Paladin lounge where the others await his arrival. Battered and bloody, the sight of him shocks everyone. Lance and Hunk rush over and guide him to the sectional, where Pidge is waiting with the first-aid kit.

“Keith what happened?”

He looks at Lance, barely able to speak. “Swordfight. Four vargas of swordplay.”

Allura checks him for serious injuries and to her relief finds none. “Whom did you fight?”

“For the first two vargas…a bunch of people I didn’t know.”

It’s what he doesn’t tell Allura that concerns her. While wrapping a bandage around his arm, she probes to find out what he is hiding. “And for the last two vargas?”

“One guy.”

Allura crosses her arms and taps her foot. “Keith, now you sound like Lotor. You’re talking in riddles. Which one guy?”

He looks at Pidge, even though Allura was the one who asked the question. He can guess how Allura will react once he gives his answer and he’s afraid to look at her. “Lotor”

“KEITH! The last time you two fought you almost killed each other!”

Slightly panicked, he turns quickly to Allura. “Hey, I’m here and he’s still alive. We didn’t kill each other.”

Allura deliberately overtightens the bandage she was putting on his arm.

“OW!”

She glares at Keith, then storms off.

Hunk approaches him, gently pats him on the shoulder, and loosens the bandage to apply it properly. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

“It’s ok, Hunk. Lotor wasn’t going to kill me.”

Hunk looks at the doorway Allura just stormed out of. “Dude, I wasn’t talking about Lotor.”

\---------------

Lotor’s Private Study, Galra Central Command

Dayak hands over a tablet and presents results of Keith’s Agotian Trials to Lotor.

“His results remind me of what I would see when testing someone of House Dormond. But they would be from someone who trained for the Agotian Trials most of their life. Keith trained for them for all of five quintants. They are the highest scores seen in over 10,000 decaphoebs!”

“How did he do in the Quintant Two simulation?”

“He took it three times, at his request. On the third try, he solved the problem.”

“He WHAT? That’s impossible! That’s a no-win…what did he do?”

“We’re not certain, but we suspect he managed to hack the system and change some of the parameters of the simulation. If nothing else, his solution to the problem shows tremendous initiative, and is unique in that it’s never been tried before.”

Lotor is deep in thought and says nothing for a full dobosh.

“Sire, May I ask what troubles you?”

“You may. I’m not troubled, Dayak, but I am…intrigued.”

“Do you view him as a threat?”

“To my reign as Emperor? No…I don’t believe he is the type to foment rebellion. He is much more valuable as an ally. Besides, he is not interested in leading. He is the Black Paladin only because he was thrust into the position. The fact that he is a natural leader is what helps him survive. He is a loner by nature. He is happy being by himself, away from people. In a way I envy him. That must be a peaceful existence.”

“With respect Sire, it is a lonely existence.”

The pair fall silent as Dayak gives Lotor time to review the results.

“Sire…did you know he was a Dormond before the Kral Zera?”

He continues to review the results on the tablet. “I wasn’t certain, but I suspected he was. He is a Blade of Marmora. He has the classic eyes and marks of a Dormond. I wanted the other Galra to see who I had lined up as an ally. A Dormond as the Black Paladin, standing with me, backing my claim to the throne? That’s a powerful statement. It’s why Gnov tried to take him down.”

Lotor hands the tablet back to Dayak. “After you review these results with him, publish them to the Empire. I need all the allies I can muster, and he is an important one. It’s time to bring the House of Dormond out of the shadows.”

**Fall of the House of Dormond**

Training Studio, Galra Central Command

Two quintants after the completion of the Agotian Trials, Dayak reviews the results with Keith.

“Your results are outstanding. The best recorded in 10,000 decaphoebs. The last person to score this high was Lotor. What is amazing in your case is that you had five quintants to prepare.”

Keith senses the change in Dayak’s demeanor and takes it as an opportunity to ask a question that troubled him since their first session.

“Dayak…Why did the Dormonds fall into disfavor?”

“Do you want the ‘official’ reason, or the real reason?”

It’s an answer he wasn’t expecting. “Um…Ok…Both?”

“The Official version of events is this. House Dormond rebelled against Emperor Zarkon. The story goes that shortly after Zarkon’s victory at the Kral Zera, members of House Dormond rose in rebellion against him. Most of the families in House Dormond were exiled or died fighting against Zarkon’s forces. Those few families that remained swore allegiance to Zarkon and were banished to the outer region posts of the Empire.”

“If that is the official version, what really happened?”

“Walk with me, Keith”

Keith is startled. This is first time she used his name. “This must be serious.”

“It is deadly serious. I want you to know that Emperor Lotor had nothing to do with what I am about to tell you. It is a stain on his family, and as the leader of his family it is his stain to bear.”

“Zarkon fought and defeated his rival from House Dormond at the Kral Zera. That is the official version of his ascension story, and taken strictly in that context, that is what happened. But, there is more to it.

“Zarkon bore a grudge against the Dormonds. He was ambitious, and that ambition included becoming Emperor. The Dormonds stood in his way. Specifically, General Bydgosz Uhler, the leading Dormond candidate for Emperor. He knew he had to beat her in honorable combat at the Kral Zera, and that in an even fight he would most likely lose. He decided to tilt the odds of success in his favor.”

“Quintants before the Kral Zera ceremony, there was an assassination attempt against General Bydgosz. The General was not killed, but she was seriously injured. Despite her injuries, she fought Zarkon at the Kral Zera and acquitted herself well. Eventually, she succumbed to her injuries and she fell to Zarkon.”

“Zarkon was despised by the Dormonds, but the House remained loyal to the throne and to the Empire. For the time being, all Zarkon could do was sit and simmer while his enemies went about their daily lives.”

“After his…change, and fearful they would foment rebellion, Zarkon decided to purge the Dormonds. He exterminated close to 50 families outright. They were not fighting against Zarkon. They did not revolt against the Empire. It was outright genocide against a House that stood in his way. He murdered them all.”

“To survive, the remaining Dormond families were forced to swear personal oaths of allegiance to Zarkon, or they were forced to go into hiding. Those that went into hiding went underground and formed loose resistance cells. These cells led to the creation of the Blade of Marmora. By his own actions Zarkon created the very thing he told the citizens of the Empire he was stamping out.”

“The founder of the Blade of Marmora was a young firebrand named Marmora Delmarka, of House Dormond. The Dormonds constitute most of the founding members of the Blade of Marmora, although every Galra Clan and House is represented within its ranks. I knew Marmora personally. He was a good and honorable man, who fought for what he believed in.”

“Dayak…did Zarkon know of your acquaintance with Marmora?”

Dayak draws a deep breath and releases a heavy sigh. Looking all around them, she reaches into a deep pocket covered by a flap on her tunic. “No. And it’s a good thing. Or they would have found this.”

A single breath would have blown Keith onto the floor at this moment. In her hand, Dayak holds a Marmoran Blade that she extends into its sword form. One that bears the Clan crest of the Bardolias.

Eyes popping out of his head, it takes a moment for him to find and stumble over his words. He points to the Blade. “Blade?…” And then to her. “You?…Clan Bardolia?…What House?…Who else knows?”

“I am Clan Bardolia, House Uwychlan. As for who knows…Kolivan, and his second-in-command. No one else within the Blades. He asked me to come here, to check on your progress and make sure you are well.”

She places the Blade back into her tunic. “I trust you will keep all of this in confidence.”

“Of…of course. Not a word.”

Dayak returns to her story. “Zarkon promised the remaining Dormonds that if they provided information about the Blade of Marmora, he would cease the purge against them. They agreed, and the purges stopped.”

“So, House Dormond turned against itself?”

“No, Keith they did not. The information the so-called turncoats provided was just truthful enough that it would be deemed plausible, but also falsified enough that Zarkon’s Druids never captured any Blades using that information. The few captures they did make were through sheer dumb luck. Your House remained true to itself and does so to this day.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I was there, watching the whole thing unfold while training Prince Lotor. And I may have slipped a few intelligence reports to the Blades along the way, to report on what was going on in the Royal Court and Household.”

“Dayak, how old are you?”

Swat! “Never ask a female her age! I am old enough and we shall leave it at that!”

“Ow! Point taken!” Keith rubs his head yet again to dissipate the sting of the riding crop.

“You mentioned Admiral Trag is a Dormond. But he was also Zarkon’s Chairman of the Armed Forces. Didn’t Zarkon know he was a Dormond?”

“He knew. But Trag was the only person Zarkon truly feared. Even cutthroats like Sendak and Ranveig feared him. The Galra Military stands firmly behind the Admiral, and he leveraged that support to protect the remaining Dormonds. Zarkon didn’t dare move against him, and as long as the purge against the Dormonds stopped, Trag didn’t move against Zarkon.”

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Zarkon was no fool”

“That is true, Keith. But neither was Trag. That sentiment you just expressed cuts both ways. Trag knew what Zarkon was doing, and he turned Zarkon’s tactic against him.”

Keith looks around to make sure they are out of earshot of anyone.

“All this time you’ve been a plant. I’ll bet it helped for the Blades to have you in the Royal Court keeping an eye on things.”

Resuming their walk, she puts her hands behind her back and looks down at the young Paladin next to her. “It didn’t hurt.”

“All this time, all those decaphoebs as Dayak…it was all an act?”

“We are all actors in our own way, Keith. We all have our roles to play in life. Mine was to be the Dayak to the Royal Family and serve an Emperor I despised.”

“What kept you going?”

“When I was presented with the opportunity to be Dayak to Lotor, I saw my chance to exact revenge against Zarkon. I took my duties as Dayak seriously and I trained Lotor properly. I taught him the importance of honor, respect, and the universal rights of the people. I taught him what it meant to live one’s life with honor.”

“I created the curiosity in Lotor about his mother, and about the Alteans. I knew the more he discovered about them, the more he would adopt the Altean ways of peace and cooperation.”

\---------------

FLASHBACK: The Spark of Curiosity

_In the throne room of the gigantic and still being built Galra Central Command, a young Prince Lotor and his Dayak stand before Emperor Zarkon. Haggar the High Priestess stands beside the Emperor._

_“Dayak, update me on the Prince’s progress.”_

_“Yes, sire. Prince Lotor completed the Agotian Trials as you requested. He was successful, even though they were advanced for his age.”_

_“What else?”_

_“His physical stature is below expectation for the blood lineage of the Galra royalty, but his tactical scores are the highest we’ve ever measured.”_

_The young Prince, desperate to please his father, speaks out of turn. “All I do, I do in the name of Galra.” Pausing for a moment as Zarkon ponders this interruption, Lotor asks him a question. “Father, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you.”_

_As Zarkon glares at his son, Dayak intervenes to defuse the situation. “Greatest apologies, sire. This one should not be speaking out of place.”_

_Still, his son has courage, so Zarkon gives him permission to ask his question. “Proceed.”_

_“I would like to know about my mother. Please, Father, what happened to her?”_

_“I will tell you this and no more. She was my only weakness. But now she is gone.”_

_“What was her name? What was she like?”_

_“Enough.”_

_“Please, Father. I must know who I come from.”_

_“I said ENOUGH!”_

_Turning to Dayak, Zarkon issues a threat. “If you do not remove his impurities, then I will find a Dayak that can.”_

_In a firm voice, Dayak looks first at Lotor, then at Zarkon. “He will be punished accordingly. We will sear him down to his inner fire so that he may burn the universe. Vrepit Sa!”_

\---------------

Dayak looks sadly at Keith. “I was strict with him when I had to be, sometimes to protect him, but I was also compassionate when he needed me to be. The abuse he endured at the hands of his father was intense. The only positive reinforcement he got as a child was from me.”

“Unfortunately, the damage Zarkon did to his son is lasting. I don’t believe that Lotor will ever truly be completely honest with anyone. Not that he is a liar. He is many things, but that is not one of them. But he will not readily share details with anyone unless they are pulled out of him, either by the necessity of the situation or because someone confronted him and got him to talk.”

“I dreamt that one day, Lotor would become the Emperor.” The sadness vanishes, replace by a slight glow of pride. “And sometimes even the wildest dreams come true.”

“Lotor was lucky to have you as his Dayak.” Keith gazes appreciatively at her. “Just as I’m lucky to have you as a Clan Elder.”

Dayak looks down at the floor. “By the strict definition of the term, I am a Clan Elder. However, you are of the age that it is your decision whether to view me as one of _your_ Elders.” She turns away and looks sadly into the distance. “Or as an ancient relic who should be discarded. As most people do.”

The sadness in her words touches him deeply. “I would be honored to have you as one of my Clan Elders. I’ve learned so much from you in such a short period of time. You are no relic. You have so much knowledge, so many things to teach so many people. You are a treasure to the Galra people and anyone who sees you as anything less is a fool.”

She is genuinely honored he thinks of her that way. “Thank you, Keith. No one has ever told me that before. Forgive me if I’m unsure how to respond. Mine is a thankless job, but a necessary one. My reward is seeing my pupils succeed.”

“Then you must be very proud, since you raised Lotor from childhood, and he’s the Emperor now.”

She finally cracks a broad smile, and gently places a hand on his shoulder. “He’s not the only one of my students that I’m proud of.”

**Broken Trust**

Sincline Ship Construction Bay, Galra Central Command

The following quintant, with no training scheduled, Keith searches for Lotor. Dayak’s words regarding Lotor’s unwillingness to readily share details haunt him. The attack on the Dormond garrison of Xenelek, and Lotor’s role in what happened to them, weigh heavily on his mind. Only Lotor has the answers he needs to put that concern to rest.

Finding him in the one place he knew he would be, and thankful Allura isn’t with him, Keith does not hesitate to confront the Emperor.

“Did you know about your father’s genocide against the Dormonds?”

“I’m sorry. What” Lotor, focused more on the construction of the third Sincline ship, responds somewhat dismissively to Keith’s blurted and pointed question. “He committed numerous genocides. Unfortunately, the Dormonds were only one of the groups who were directly affected. It’s a shame what happened to them.”

His answer only serves to infuriate Keith and he lets that anger show. “A shame? That’s MY HOUSE you’re dismissing and you’re not getting away with it! I want to know what really happened on Xenelek, when Meltok’s command called for help and none came?”

Lotor now gives Keith his full attention. He falls back on his previous explanation. “Keith, I truly am very sorry about what happened to your House, and what happened to your cousin on Xenelek. Reinforcing troops were out of position; we couldn’t get them there in time.”

Keith gets red in the face and gets in Lotor’s. “You’re hiding something, and you better tell me what it is. I am sick and tired of being manipulated by you. You knew troops were out of position and couldn’t have reinforced the Xenelek garrison in time. You admitted you should have moved them sooner. You didn’t. Why? What really happened there?”

“I’ve told you…”

“You’ve told me half the truth. I want the WHOLE truth! I want to know what you are hiding! What really happened there?”

Lotor takes a deep breath, looks Keith in the eye, and finally confesses.

“Yes, I knew about the Dormond genocide. How he despised them almost as much as he despised the Alteans. I also knew that Admiral Trag was protecting them. However, there was one group that fell outside the Admiral’s protection. The Xenelek garrison.”

“My father saw an opportunity to eliminate the Dormond faction on Xenelek. He forbade me from moving troops closer to Xenelek, because he knew that I anticipated there would be trouble. And there was. Of his doing.”

“Zarkon arranged for the raiders to attack the garrison. He didn’t expect the Dormonds to defeat them on their own.”

“I was in no position to stop my father. But I was able to intervene and mitigate the disaster, and that’s what I did. To protect the survivors of Xenelek, I made the decision to abandon the planet. I came up with a plausible excuse that would satisfy my father. I knew it would upset Meltok and the other survivors, for very good reason. But I had to keep my silence to protect the Xenelek garrison and their families. I had them transferred to Corillia, where there were a larger number of people from that House who would protect them. They were no longer under my command, but under Admiral Trag’s. I knew they would be safe there.”

Keith grits his teeth and does his best to contain his boiling anger. “Why didn’t you tell Meltok this? Either then, or when he was here. HE TRUSTED YOU!”

Keith backs away and takes a deep breath, doing his best to calm down.

“I thought I could trust you, Lotor. Despite all your fancy words and manipulations, I honestly thought I could trust you. Now I don’t know if I can or not. You need to be honest with people. _You_ need to learn to trust people. You can’t continue to lie through omission. It’s too easy for people to jump to the wrong conclusion about you and your actions.”

His anger spent, Keith pauses, maintains eye contact, and softens the tone in his voice. “Like I just did about what happened on Xenelek.”

“One day, Lotor, not being completely honest with someone is going to cost you dearly.”

**Challenge**

Hangar Bay Three, Galra Central Command

Twenty quintants have passed since Keith’s first lesson with Dayak, ten since his completion of the Agotian trials. Given a special assignment at the request of Admiral Trag, Dayak prepares to depart Galra Central Command. Keith is there to see her off.

“I cannot possibly thank you enough for all you’ve done for me. I understand now what it means to be Galra. For that I am forever in your debt.”

Dayak just shakes her head and smiles. “Young Dormond…Keith…if you understand what it means to be Galra, then you’ve solved a mystery I’ve been trying to unravel for over 10,000 decaphoebs. Your learning is never complete. Do not forget that.”

“I won’t. I promise. I just wish I could repay you somehow.”

“There is one way you can repay me.”

“What is that?”

“Accept this challenge. Lead your House back to its rightful place at the head of the Royal Houses of the Galra Empire. The House of Dormond needs a leader they can rally around. You, Keith Kogane of House Dormond and the Black Paladin of Voltron, are that leader.”

Keith begins to protest, but Dayak holds up her hand and stops him. “I know you are reluctant. You feel you are not ready to lead, because you are too young, or because you don’t believe people will follow your lead. Or because you are afraid of making mistakes. Those are perfectly normal reactions. But Keith you are a natural leader. People are drawn to you. You will make mistakes, but a true leader learns from their mistakes and moves on. You’ve shown me you have that ability. Have the courage to lead.”

“You give me far too much credit, Dayak. I lead Voltron. For now, that is enough. I can make a difference for people as the Black Paladin.”

“You can do so much more for so many more souls in another capacity. Promise me you will think about it.”

“I will. I will never forget you, Dayak.”

Dayak smiles and bows. “That makes this old warbirds heart soar. Peace and long life to you, Keith Uhler of House Dormond.”

“And to you, Dayak Sinara Riban of House Uwychlan. Until we meet again.”

“I pray that comes to pass, Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Star Trek homage included in this work also appeared briefly in Chapter 14 of Return of the Prince. In that chapter, Keith and Allura are having an argument, when Allura makes reference to the fact that as a leader Keith will be faced with no-win scenarios. He responds by saying he doesn't believe in the no-win scenario. 
> 
> Thank you for spending your time reading this work. If you've made it this far, you have my deepest appreciation and thanks. Please leave a comment if you feel inclined to do so. Constructive criticism is always welcome here, and I do reply to all comments.
> 
> Coming up next, Keith finally meets the family matriarch.


	12. Matriarch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith receives an urgent summons from Blade Master Kolivan to take on an extraction mission to rescue a senior Blade operative. The ensuing operation will forever change the young Paladin's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly canon compliant. It contains the Blade of Marmora arc from the VLD episode Bloodlines, with additional details added to fill in gaps in the story, left out no doubt due to time constraints.

**Warning Order**

On his way back to the Castle of Lions after seeing Dayak off on her special assignment, Keith is approached by a Galra Lieutenant. “Black Paladin. Sir. I have an urgent message for you.”

“An urgent message? From whom?”

“Blade Master Kolivan of the Blade of Marmora. He asks that you contact him immediately on a matter of the utmost importance. If you will follow me sir I will take you a private office and open the communication channel for you.”

Following the Lieutenant, Keith enters an office, where a direct communication link is opened to Blade of Marmora headquarters. “This is a secure channel, sir. I will be outside the door should you need anything.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

After a dobosh, Kolivan’s image appears on the screen.

“Keith. An emergency has come up and we need you at Blade Headquarters right away.”

Despite not having seen each other for movements, there is no exchange of pleasantries. Not that there would be under normal circumstances as that is out of character for the always serious Kolivan. But Keith detects something just a bit off in Kolivan’s demeanor. He is even more serious than usually.

“It’s good to see you too, Kolivan. What’s the mission?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here. You must leave immediately.”

“Ok. Let me gather a few things and talk to…”

“You didn’t listen! You need to leave immediately! Now! I will inform Princess Allura that you will be absent for a short while.”

“But…”

“There are no buts! This is important! Leave now!”

For Kolivan to be this short, something is terribly wrong. “Understood. Leaving now.”

Keith steps outside the office and turns to the Lieutenant.

“I need the fastest fighter you have, and I need it now.”

His next call is to the Bridge of the Castle of Lions. “Coran, I’m going to need a wormhole. I’m making an emergency trip, and I’ll need it in five doboshes.”

**Mission Briefing**

Blade of Marmora Headquarters

Less than a varga later, Kolivan and Keith stand before several screens displaying intelligence for Keith’s next mission with the Blade of Marmora.

“This base was, until recently, run by a Galra Commander named Ranveig. He was developing a super weapon of some sort.” The screen displays an image of the base, and of Ranveig himself. “We’re not sure of the weapon’s specs, but we do know that it is incredibly powerful.”

Keith is surprised at the detailed level of the intelligence Kolivan has gathered. “How did we learn all of this?”

Kolivan stares straight at the screen. “We have an operative in Ranveig’s camp who’s managed to acquire high-level security clearance.” He turns to face Keith. “Since Ranveig’s departure, it’s possible she assumed control of the base. But we can’t be sure.”

Keith’s gut warns him there is something about this situation that is not quite right. “Why not?”

“We’re not the only ones who know of the weapon.” He pulls up the images of two Galra Commanders. “Two breakaway Galra factions, led by Commanders Trugg and Ladnok, are at war over the territory. Since their fighting began, most communication has been cut off. It’s sporadic at best. Our last contact with our operative was three vargas ago. We need you to infiltrate the base, extract her, and destroy Ranveig’s weapon.”

Kolivan turns to face Keith, his expression even more serious than usual. He’s about to send Keith on a mission he’s been planning for movements. He wants Keith to understand the urgency of it.

“Keith, this is of the utmost importance. If either faction acquires this weapon, it could tip the balance of power in their favor. So, you cannot allow your feelings to cloud your judgement.”

The surprise at hearing Kolivan’s cryptic admonition is clear on Keith’s face. “I wouldn’t…”

Kolivan immediately and tersely cuts him off. “You have in the past! Remember, the mission is the only thing that matters. Emotions are a luxury we cannot afford.”

Kolivan pulls up the image of the Blade of Marmora soldier he is sending Keith to retrieve. “This is the operative you’ll be contacting.”

“Her name…is Krolia.”

**Flashback: The Extraction Order (Three Vargas Earlier)**

_ Blade of Marmora Headquarters _

_Ever since Lotor’s ascension to the Kral Zera, communication with the Blade of Marmora operative on Warlord Ranveig’s base has been intermittent. With a battle for control of the base raging between Commanders Ladnok and Trugg, Kolivan receives an encoded real-time text message from the operative._

_“Base capture by one of the factions imminent. Initiating action to destroy the super weapon. Do not risk further lives. Invoking Protocol 23.”_

_Realizing the operative is hinting at blowing up the base with themselves in it, he sends an immediate response._

_“Negative. Stand down from Protocol 23. Prepare for weapon destruction but do not execute. Prepare for extraction.”_

_The response comes quickly. “Negative. Situation extremely dangerous. Doubtful anyone can break blockade.”_

_Kolivan lets out a frustrated sigh and mutters to himself as he re-reads the message. “You just don’t get it, do you Krolia.” He creates a short response back to his operative. “Not sending just anyone. Our best pilot will get you.”_

_Kolivan waits a full dobosh, hoping to receive a reply. When it finally comes in, he is not surprised by what he reads._

_“Negative! Negative! Do not I repeat DO NOT sent him!”_

_His reply back is terse and clear. “You don’t have a choice. Expect him within five vargas.”_

**The Commanders**

Above Planet Arcalis

Two cruiser fleets square off in space above Arcalis. Commander Ladnok’s fleet is in position closer to Arcalis, but this position offers them no tactical advantage. The fleet let by Commander Trugg has the upper hand and is relentlessly hammering Ladnok and her ships.

Ion cannon blasts rip through both formations, striking cruisers and inflicting massive damage on ships that are hit. Fighters weave in and out of the formations attacking the much larger capital ships. Individually a fighter will inflict negligible damage to a cruiser. In massed formation, their effect is magnified, like a swarm of bees attacking a bear.

On Trugg’s flagship, a hailing frequency is opened to the leader of the opposing fleet. “We have you outgunned, Ladnok. There is no need for further bloodshed. Stand down and I will absorb your crew into my fleet.”

Refusing to concede that hers is a lost cause, Ladnok remains defiant. “Do you take me for a fool, Trugg? We both know Ranveig developed a weapon capable of conferring an insurmountable advantage on either of us. And we both know it’s located somewhere on his base.”

Trugg is unimpressed. “Indeed. We also both know that this battle is all but over. You cannot win.”

“I will possess Ranveig’s weapon or I will die in the attempt.” Ladnok ends her transmission as another Ion weapon beam hits her ship.

Trugg turns to her weapons officer. “Destroy what’s left of them.”

The Ion weapons on her cruiser fleet zero in on Ladnok’s flagship. Reaching full charge, they unleash a final, devastating broadside.

**Details**

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Working at her console on the Castle of Lions, Allura is approached by a very curious Coran. “Princess, about that wormhole Keith asked me to open for him. It seemed urgent. Do you know why, or what’s going on?”

“No, I don’t. I just know that Kolivan contacted me and said there was an important matter that he needed Keith to attend to. Something about keeping a weapons system out of the wrong hands, and that it required Keith’s skills as a pilot. I asked him if we should send Voltron. He said no, that the remaining Paladins would be best employed here. With Lotor’s fleets backing us up we should be able to handle things if we need to deploy.”

“Do you know how long Keith will be gone?”

“He said two to three movements and he’ll be back. It should work out. In the meantime, I’m waiting for Keith’s signal to open another wormhole for him, to the Arcalis system.”

Seeing Allura fretting over her console, he peeks over her shoulder. Seeing detailed schematics, he makes a guess about what is troubling her.

“How is work progressing on the Sincline fighter?”

“Slow. Construction is two-thirds complete, but there are still things I need to do to allow us to penetrate the barrier into the Quintessence field. I’m struggling to work through them. I keep hitting an impasse. The details are strangling me.”

“It’s like anything else that one tries to do for the first time. It takes more time to figure out what you are doing than it takes to do it. Don’t give up, Allura. You’ll work it out in the end.”

**The Gauntlet**

Above Planet Arcalis

Emerging from a wormhole, Keith carefully approaches the scene of the still-raging battle.

He carefully guides his fighter through the debris of wrecked ships. Dodging the blasted hull of a cruiser, he comes upon a scene straight from Dante’s Inferno. Ion beams rip through the space above Ranveig’s base as explosions tear through ships on both sides of the battle.

“Looks like things have escalated between Ladnok and Trugg. Best to try to blend in with the debris. Don’t want to attract any fire. Here goes nothing.”

Accelerating towards the battle, he cuts his engine and uses his inertia to make his way through the battlefield. Ion beams continue to fly through space as ships explode around him. He rolls, twists, and turns is fighter to avoid exploding ships, Ion beams, and debris. He uses occasional quick bursts from his engine to avoid obstacles but takes great care to make his craft appear to be derelict.

It almost works.

Breaking through the inner line of what remains of Ladnok’s fleet, Keith believes the worst is behind him. In a way, he correct. From behind him, a large chunk of a cruiser slams into the right wing of his fighter. Half of the wing snaps off, putting his craft into an uncontrolled roll.

Alarms blare in the cockpit as Keith struggles to stabilize his wildly spinning fighter. Slowing the roll, he activates the steering thrusters on the damaged wing and uses them to slow and then stop the roll. Realizing he is approaching the ground upside down, he uses the thrusters to roll the fighter 180 degrees, righting it.

Keith makes a controlled descent to the surface of the planet and comes in as level as he can. The belly of the fighter strikes the ground hard and the ship bounces into the air. It skims across the ground three more times, like a flat rock skipping over a pond. On the fourth impact, the damaged wing digs into the ground. The fighter cartwheels uncontrollably across the surface of Arcalis. Keith pulls back hard on the controls in a last-ditch attempt to mitigate the severity of the impending crash.

The fighter slams into Arcalis and bursts into flames.

Doboshes later, a bruised but otherwise uninjured Keith surveys the scene before him. In the near distance is Ranveig’s base. In the skies above, he sees the explosions coming from Ladnok’s fleet as it is systematically destroyed by Trugg’s cruisers.

**Krolia**

Interior of Ranveig’s Base

Alarms sound throughout the base as sentry droids race to their battle stations.

Breaching an access panel and gaining entrance to the base, Keith quietly and carefully makes his way towards the control room.

Taking shelter, he spies the person he believes to be the base commander moving into the control room with members of her security detachment.

Sensing a presence that doesn’t belong there, she turns and stares intently in Keith’s direction. He gasps and quickly ducks back under cover, hoping he has not been seen.

The base commander turns away and enters the control room.

Seeing her pass through the doorway into the control room, Keith makes his way closer to it. He draws his Blade and holds it at the ready. Slowly approaching the entrance to the control room, his senses tingle as he detects the presence of someone behind him.

He immediately draws his Blade to its sword configuration, pivots, and extends his sword arm fully. Keith is shocked when he sees the business end of a blaster pistol one inch from his nose.

He stands face to face with the base commander, who also happens to be the Blade operative he is there to extract. A Galra female, she is still young by Galra standards but significantly older than Acxa, who he knows is close in age to him. She sports cheek stripes, and in her yellow eyes he clearly sees distinct irises and pupils. She is significantly taller than Keith, with a longer reach than he, even with his sword in hand.

Prepared to kill, she glares at the intruder and hears him call her name.

“Krolia?”

Holding the weapon against his nose, she takes a sideways glance at the Blade Keith holds against her neck. Her eyes widen in recognition at the calling card of a Blade of Marmora. She bends her elbow and points the pistol skyward, powering it down. Stepping back, she holsters it as Keith draws back the sword and sheaths his Blade.

Still giving him stern look, she scolds the young Blade.

“You’re late! We don’t have much time. Follow me!”

\---------------

Main Control Room, Ranveig’s Base

“I’m sorry. There is this small matter of a minor skirmish above the base, and my fighter crashed. I had to walk five klicks to get here.”

He sees her brush aside his excuse with a wave of her hand. Krolia is obviously cross with Keith and he is at a loss to understand why.

“Why did Kolivan risk sending you here now?”

The sounds of explosions outside the base begin to echo in the control room as Krolia furiously works her control panel.

“Because he’s heard about Ranveig’s super weapon. We can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.”

Krolia finally softens her tone a bit. “I’m guessing Ranveig is dead, since Commander Trugg is attacking my base.”

“He is dead. He was killed by Sendak at the Kral Zera.”

Krolia spins to face him, surprised. “How do you know this?”

Keith locks eyes with Krolia and stares defiantly back at her. “I was there. Backing Lotor for Emperor.”

“Lotor? You owe me an explanation for that, but not now.” She turns back to her control station and resumes her work.

Keith is flabbergasted. Krolia is not only assertive, she’s also annoyingly presumptuous. He owes her an explanation. Why? For now, he sets it aside and focuses on the task at hand as an explosion rocks the base.

“Trugg is on the verge of crushing your forces. We must destroy the super weapon now. What is the weapon exactly?”

As she continues to work at the controls, Krolia describes the events leading up to the creation of the super weapon.

“Warlord Ranveig intercepted an undocumented shipment of Quintessence traveling through his territory. He took it for his own and began experimenting with it. It’s more powerful than any quintessence we’ve received from the Empire, and it has some very unexpected effects.”

Another explosion rocks the base. This time it is clear that the outer perimeter defenses have been breached. A warning call rings out throughout the base.

“First level defense has been breached! Activating second level of defense!”

Krolia activates the view screen at her console and does not like what she sees. “Trugg’s fleet has touched down. We’re running out of time!”

Opening the lift door behind them, she rushes towards it, admonishing Keith to follow her. “Come on!”

\---------------

Super Weapon Bay under Ranveig’s Base

Descending ten levels, Keith and Krolia rush out of the lift. Krolia points to her left. “Get to that console!”

As Keith activates his workstation, Krolia rushes to the other. The sense of urgency is high for both.

“What now?”

“We need to simultaneously enter this code…”

Before she can give him the code, an explosion rips open the door to the Super Weapon Bay.

Sentry droids from Trugg’s fleet enter the room, their Ion rifles whirring as they charge up.

Keith doesn’t hesitate. He charges the closest droid, drawing his Blade in his right hand as he closes the distance between them. Sliding feet first, he switches the Blade to his left hand and slices the droid’s leg off. As he slides past the crippled droid, he regains his feet and delivers the killing blow to the midsection.

Pivoting and shifting his attention to the next droid, he adroitly flips his Blade from his left hand to his right. His first strike knocks the Ion rifle from the droid’s hand. Two blows in quick succession to the midsection take the droid down.

Keith leaps in the air, impaling his blade into the upper chest of the next droid. Landing with both feet on the crouching droid’s upper thighs, he tries to withdraw the Blade, but is grabbed by the droid and tossed backwards towards the lift.

As the droid turns to pursue him, it is struck and demolished by four successive blaster pistol shots from an enraged Krolia. She destroys two more droids in quick succession with rapid fire blaster bursts. Racing forward, she grabs Keith’s Blade and confronts another droid who is drawing down on her. Displaying her skills as an expert swordswoman, she takes the droid down in one powerful swing.

An Ion rifle blast whizzes past her head as she turns to face three more droids. Dodging two more Ion rifle shots, she hurls the blade. Spiraling end-over-end, it embeds itself in the head of a droid. She fires her blaster pistol, taking two more droids down as she rushes forward and gathers up the Blade.

She takes one more droid down with a single blow that nearly severs it’s arm at the shoulder.

Nine droids are down, but the battle is lost. She hears weapons cocking and whirring as they charge. Turning towards the lift she sees five droids and a Galra private, all with weapons drawn on her. Commander Trugg is there as well, with her own weapon drawn. But it’s not pointed at Krolia.

Trugg’s weapon is pointed at Keith’s head. He is on his knees in front of her, arms bound behind him.

Commander Trugg makes one simple demand of Krolia. “Surrender or die.”

There is no way out, no other alternative, and Krolia knows it. Letting loose a heavy sigh, she draws Keith’s Marmoran sword down into its Blade form.

The shock that rips through Keith at the sight is indescribable. Marmoran Blades are only responsive to their owners. Yet Krolia manages to reshape Keith’s Blade as if it were second nature to her. He moves his gaze from his Blade to the woman who just did the impossible with it.

Krolia holds her hands up, the Blade in one hand, her pistol loosely held in the other, barrel pointed behind her. She appeals to Trugg’s base emotional desire for power.

“We can make a deal.”

Keith is beside himself. This is not behavior he expected from a senior Blade of Marmora operative. “What are you doing?”

Krolia looks Keith directly in the eyes, an expression on her face that he’s never seen from anyone before.

While her expression is confusing it’s the softness in her voice and the words she utters that truly befuddle him.

“I left you once. I’ll never leave you again.”

She raises her eyes to look at Trugg, her voice and expression hardening. “Give us a ship, and I’ll give you the code to the weapon.”

Trugg scoffs at the suggestion. “Why should I trust you?”

Krolia smirks at the Galra Commander. “You don’t have a choice. I’m the only one who knows the access code. If you try to break in, the room will self-destruct. Once we’re airborne, I’ll give you the code.”

An enraged Trugg wants to rip Krolia’s arms off, but she knows the cunning base commander has her over a barrel.

Trugg has no choice but to relent. She pulls Keith to his feet and pushes him roughly towards Krolia.

**Revelations**

Hangar Bay, Ranveig’s Base

Keith quickly performs his preflight checks as he prepares a large Galra hyperdrive fighter for takeoff. Grateful to be alive, Keith is angry with Krolia’s actions and is not shy about telling her.

“I still can’t believe you’d give them the weapon just to save me. You compromised the mission!”

Krolia, working at a console, is very annoyed with Keith’s whining and she puts an end to it.

“Keith, shut up and trust me!”

Chastened but still hot under the collar, Keith bites his lip and finishes his preflight checks.

Getting the signal from Keith that they are ready for takeoff, Krolia opens a direct link to Commander Trugg.

“Commander Trugg, we are prepared for liftoff. Are you at the weapons console?”

“Affirmative”

“The code is Beta-5-2-7-4 Omega-5-4-5.”

Trugg looks at the private entering the codes into the weapons console. Nodding affirmation that the code entry was successful, Trugg relays the message back to Krolia.

“Confirmed.”

Krolia terminates the transmission to Trugg, wheels, and barks an order to Keith.

“Get us out of here, now!”

Keith slams the throttle forward, pushing the fighter to maximum thrust. They race out of the Hangar Bay at top speed and accelerate as they climb vertically into the upper atmosphere.

\---------------

Super Weapon Bay under Ranveig’s Base

The doors to the super weapon begin to open. It is a multi-layered access system, with seven doors securing the weapon. As the first door opens, the second begin its opening sequence.

Trugg turns to the private. Her lips curling into a sneer, she dishonorably breaks the commitment she made to Krolia.

“Shoot them down.”

The two large Ion cannons of the base power up and take aim at the streaking fighter.

\---------------

Keith and Krolia’s Fighter

Keeping his sensors focused on the base, Keith detects activity from its Ion cannon batteries. “They’re locking on to us! Hold on!”

Two massive Ion cannon fire and Keith begins evasive maneuvers to avoid the beams. The beams of the weapons cross as the gunner attempts to track the fighter. Gritting his teeth, his attention completely focused on survival, Keith anticipates and adapts to their maneuvers. while some Ion beams come dangerously close to the fighter, none strike it.

Krolia holds on for dear life, marveling at the skill of the young pilot. She sees first-hand why Kolivan considers him the best pilot in the Blade of Marmora.

Keith takes the fighter into the massive debris field circling Arcalis, all that is left of Ladnok’s fleet. He weaves his way through the debris, trying to confuse the gunner on the ground by hiding among the wrecked ships. Despite Keith’s efforts, the gunner on the base continues to track them with amazing accuracy. Several more beams come dangerously close to the fighter.

Keith, still angry with Krolia’s decision, lets her have it through gritted teeth. “This is why you shouldn’t have made that trade for me. We could die and you just handed that weapon over to Trugg.”

Krolia is remarkably calm. “No Keith. I handed them over to it.”

\---------------

Super Weapon Bay under Ranveig’s Base

The final set of doors leading to the weapon begin to move. Trugg smiles with anticipation as the massive doors slide opens.

She stares intently into the pitch-black darkness, doing her best to see what is inside. Taking three steps forward, she detects something. Something that is moving in the weapons chamber.

Something that is very much alive.

Her smiles quickly turn to horror as the awful truth about Ranveig’s super weapon is revealed.

Her dying screams of terror ring through the room as the beast makes its presence known.

\---------------

Keith and Krolia’s Fighter

As they pull further away from Arcalis, the weapons fire ceases. Keith allows himself to release a long sigh of relief.

“We’re far enough away. They’ve stopped firing at us.”

He puts the fighter on autopilot, pulls his seat back, and stands cross-armed facing Krolia. Still angry with the deal she struck, and shaking from their brush with death, he remains speechless.

Krolia takes his Blade and awkwardly offers it to him. “I should give this back to you.”

Keith takes the Blade and examines it, making sure it is in fact his. He gives voice to the question that troubled him on the base in the aftermath of their fight against Trugg.

“How were you able to use it?”

Krolia closes her eyes for a few ticks, before opening them and gazing at Keith softly. Her eyes fill as she reveals her true identity.

“Because it used to be mine…before I gave it to your father.”

Keith stumbles backwards, using the pilot seat for support.

“You’re my…mom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than the recent ones' I've posted, and that was deliberate. This is an important moment not only in Keith's development as the Black Paladin/Blade of Marmora operative, but also in his personal development. I wanted to keep the focus of the chapter on him.
> 
> Before actually meeting her son on Ranveig's base, Krolia was aware that her son was alive and member of the Blade of Marmora. Her initial crossness (is that a word?) with Keith is a case of misplaced anger. She is overjoyed to see him, but that joy is overpowered by her anger with Kolivan for putting him in harms way to get her. Kolivan's rationale for doing that, while hinted at in this chapter, is fully explained in Chapter 2 of the fourth work of this series, the Marmoran Generals. His real reason for getting her out may surprise you.
> 
> We stay with these two in the next chapter.


	13. Razor's Edge Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking their mission for the Blade of Marmora into the Quantum Abyss, Keith is forced to deal with intense feelings of resentment and abandonment as he deals with Krolia's bombshell revelation. Back at Galra Central Command, Allura begins her work on the third Sincline ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next follows the canonical flow of Razor's Edge, but with significant additional content added to deal with Keith's emotional reaction (feelings of anger, resentment, abandonment) to meeting his mother after nineteen years without her.

**Enriched Quintessence**

Keith and Krolia’s Fighter

“You’re my…mom? How? How did you get to Earth? How…how did you meet my dad?”

His heart pounding in his chest, eyes wide with excitement, a million thoughts and questions racing through his mind, the questions come fast and furious out of Keith’s mouth.

“How…how are you sure?”

Krolia gazes back at her son, the love of a mother in her eyes. But there is a sadness on her face at the same time.

“I’m sure. This isn’t how I hoped to meet you again, and this isn’t how I wanted to tell you, but it’s the truth. We can talk about this later.”

Keith is flabbergasted. “What?! You drop a bomb like this and tell me you’ll explain later?”

Krolia’s refusal to talk about it now makes him frustrated and resentful, and he makes no effort to hide those feelings from her.

Emotions that Keith suppressed for years come flooding to the surface and slam into him with the force of an asteroid hitting a planet. Feelings of resentment and anger over his mother leaving him…abandoning him and his father…churn within him. He wants to know why she left, knowing that whatever reason she gives it won’t be satisfactory.

Krolia is in a tough spot and she knows it. The separation anxiety she felt when she left her son so many years before comes flooding back into her. She wants to hug him and tell him she’s sorry for leaving. She wants to make things right. But she doesn’t know how to do that, and she knows she can’t fix nineteen years of absenteeism with a hug and an ‘I love you’. She clearly sees the resentment on her son’s face; she knew it was coming. But the anger backing up that resentment shocks and saddens her at the same time.

As much as she wants to be his mother, she knows they must clear the air first and talk about her reasons for leaving. It’s a discussion she is simply not prepared to have with Keith right now, especially given the emotional state he’s currently in. To delay the inevitable, she chooses to hide behind part two of their mission.

In this moment she chooses to be the disciplined Blade of Marmora Senior Commander. Emotions are to be set aside, regardless of how painful that act may be.

“We’ve got more important things to deal with right now. We are Blade of Marmora operatives. Mission first.”

Hearing those words, the resentment he feels towards his mother for abandoning him at a young age, and the frustrations he feels over her refusal to discuss it burn even hotter inside Keith. He grits his teeth, looks away, and grunts, doing his best to keep his emotions in check and maintain his composure.

“Fine. Mission first.” Keith tells himself that if she doesn’t want to talk about it now, then neither does he. He wonders if he’ll ever want to talk about it with the woman who gave birth to him, then abandoned him. The passion of his emotional reaction to meeting Krolia surprises him as much as it surprises her.

This is not the way he envisioned his reunion with his mother to be.

Krolia recognizes the inner struggle her son is going through. For now, she needs to get his mind off the shock she just gave him and get his focus back on the mission at hand.

A mission she now lays out for him.

“We’re going after the enriched Quintessence that created Ranveig’s super weapon.”

It only takes a tick for Keith’s mind to shift back into mission mode. He is grateful for anything that helps him get his roiling emotions under control.

“What? Kolivan and I have been searching for that same Quintessence for a long time.”

Sensing the emotional shift in Keith, she continues her mission briefing. “I was with Ranveig when an unmarked cargo ship passed into his region. When we checked it out, there was no crew aboard. The ship had been nearly torn to pieces, but inside, a single vat of Quintessence remained. It was unlike any Quintessence we’d seen.”

“Were there navigation records aboard?”

“No, but I analyzed the ship personally. The radiation signature indicated it had passed through the Quantum Abyss.”

“Quantum Abyss? What’s that?”

“I’ll show you.” She signals for Keith to stand next to her as she pulls up information about the Quantum Abyss on her console. “It’s a part of the galaxy where dense neutron stars orbit even larger dark stars. In the Quantum Abyss, planets and other celestial bodies are being pulled and torn in different directions. It’s a chaotic, ever-changing environment. And the presence of such massive objects has unusual effects on gravitational waves and space-time itself.

Keith gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. “…and that’s where we’re heading?”

“Yes.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that.”

**Shredded Dignity**

Sincline Construction Bay, Galra Central Command

Allura stands before the partially built third Sincline ship, both hands resting on the hull. A dull pink glow surrounds her hands as she focuses on infusing the ship with the unique Altean energy it will need for its special mission.

Monitoring her efforts from a nearby computer console is Lotor. “Your father, King Alfor, was a gifted alchemist, whose unique ability allowed him to infuse the Voltron ore with Altean energy, granting the Paladins access to the Quintessence field.” Lotor turns from his console to face Allura. “Now you, Allura, possess that same gift.”

Allura removes her hands and turns to face Lotor. “Our visit to Oriande has taught me more than I ever thought possible.” She gazes at the Emperor, deep appreciation for his kind words in her eyes. “Thank you.”

Lotor returns the gaze, the same appreciation…and something more…in his eyes.

“No, thank you, Princess. With your help we can finally supply the Empire with Quintessence. You are the key to bringing peace to the Universe.”

Allura looks down and away from him, weighing that one word. “Peace. My father wanted the same thing when he built the Lions. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps and continue his work.”

She lifts her gaze to look upon Lotor once again. “And to do so alongside you.”

Looking deeply into her eyes, Lotor steps closer to Allura and takes her hand.

“Like the days of long ago, our royal alliance will inspire others.”

He begins to lean into her…and stops abruptly when Pidge bursts into the construction bay with Lance and Hunk.

“Hey, you guys starting without us?”

Allura quickly steps away from Lotor, hoping they didn’t see what she was afraid they might have seen. Unfortunately for her, they did see what she was afraid they had seen.

Hunk realizes they saw what they should not have seen and does his best to cover for Allura. “You didn’t think to call the engineers before you began building your inter-reality Quintessence field magical Altean alchemy super ship?”

Lance is especially put out, standing next to Hunk with his arms crossed. “Right. You didn’t think to call the Engineers…and me?”

Unfortunately for Lance, his seriousness is undermined when he leans against a stand and knocks over a tray containing several tools. They make a loud crash as they tumble and hit the floor.

Everyone stares at the Red Paladin. Feeling a bit embarrassed by Lance’s clumsiness, Pidge and Hunk both give him the ‘what did you just do look.’

Lance innocently looks back at them. “What?”

Lotor is quite amused by Lance’s misfortune and can’t resist letting a smile cross his face. Allura on the other hand is very embarrassed by the whole thing. Hands behind her back, she sighs loudly.

“I appreciate that you want to help. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot for you to do.”

Lotor decides to help Allura out of this embarrassing situation. “Infusing the comet ore with Altean alchemy is quite different than simply building a ship.”

Hunk and Pidge give each other the horse-eye as they say one word in unison. “Magic.”

“We’ll certainly call you if we’re in need of assistance.”

Hunk is obviously disappointed. “Hmm. Oh, well. No worries Allura.” He turns and makes for the exit from the construction bay. “More time to integrate those Galra shields with our Altean tech. Come on, Pidge.” At the pair depart, Hunk tells Pidge, “There’s got to be a way to do it.”

Lance is left behind, standing awkwardly in front of Lotor and Allura. “You sure you don’t need a third wheel for help?”

Lotor and Allura ignore him, focusing instead on the schematics Lotor is displaying on the monitor of his console.

“No?”

Receiving no answer, Lance gathers up what is left of his shredded dignity and saunters out of the construction bay.”

**The Quantum Abyss**

Keith and Krolia’s Fighter

“I think…we’re here.”

Looking out from the cockpit of the fighter, Keith takes in the sight of several neutron and dark stars and the grossly distorted heavenly bodies around them being pulled apart by the immense gravitational forces.

Krolia previously warned Keith that he should suit up should the airtight integrity of the fighter be compromised. Her response comes through with the staticky, metallic sound that comes from a helmet microphone.

“Bring us in. Stay alert.”

Keith moves the fighter around the edge of the Quantum Abyss, taking great care to maintain his distance from the neutron and dark stars. Should he get too close, they will be sucked into the gravity well with no hope of escape.

“Are you sure we should go in there?”

Krolia keeps a close eye on her monitor, looking for any sign of trouble or spike in the gravitational fields in the area. “Ranveig sent probes in here trying to track the Quintessence. The probes picked up a path that was relatively unaffected by space-time.”

She displays the images from her monitor on Keith’s heads-up video display.

“Where does the path go?”

“We never found out. The probes were all destroyed.”

“By what?”

Her response is ominous. “I’m not sure. Keep sharp.”

They soon find out first-hand what destroyed the probes.

\---------------

As they pass by a large rocky meteor, five denizens of the Quantum Abyss uncloak. Four angular legs, like those of a spider, jut out from their round, ball-shaped bodies. The ends of the legs are tapered like spear points, hard and sharp. The creatures have one large round eye, especially suited for the lighting conditions of the Quantum Abyss, centered on the body.

They leap off the rocks on which they were hiding and fall into formation with the fighter.

One of them flies even with the ship, startling Keith when he spots it. Studying it carefully, he is surprised when the singular eye turns and stares back at him.

A split tick later it spreads its legs and launches an attack.

All five creatures light onto the fighter and punch their legs into the hull. Alarms sound as Keith struggles to maintain control of his ship. Looking up, he sees one of the creatures pounding on the cockpit glass, about to punch through it.

“Krolia, we got trouble.”

Krolia looks up and over her monitor and calls out to Keith. “We need to shake them before they breach the hull!”

The fighter is rocked as the creatures attempt to do exactly that.

Knowing he must dislodge the creatures from the hull, Keith begins a series of quick, severe maneuvers with the fighter. At this point, he is less concerned with maintaining distance from the gravity well of the Quantum Abyss and more concerned about getting these little monsters off the hull of his ship.

“Hang on!”

Rolling the fighter and quickly waggling its wings from side to side, he manages to shake off three of the creatures. The fourth enters the ship through the engine port, severely damaging the engine. It punches its way into the crew compartment just behind Krolia. Turning quickly, she gasps in surprise at the sight. Her surprise does not last long as she pulls her blaster pistol and destroys the creature.

“Keith, what’s our status?”

The remaining creature is wreaking havoc on the fighter. “The ship’s damaged. Thrusters are gone. I can’t hold her!”

Struggling with the controls one last time, he detects the acceleration of the fighter as it falls into the gravity well.

“We’re being pulled in! We need to ditch!”

Krolia immediately punches the emergency escape button and bails out of the ship, followed closely by Keith.

The fighter continues to accelerate into the depths of the gravity well. As it gets closer, the ship and the creatures still on it are stretched and pulled apart by the intense gravitational forces.

\---------------

Keith and Krolia settle on a large chunk of space rock on the edge of the gravity well and watch their fighter disintegrate.

“Krolia, what were those things?”

“I don’t know, but they’re gone now.”

“So is our ship. It had the coordinates to guide us through the Quantum Abyss.”

Krolia detects the twinge of panic in her son’s voice. She knows she needs to hold it together and keep her own emotions in check, for his sake as much as hers. “I downloaded those coordinates before we had to bail. As for getting through the Quantum Abyss, we’ll have to make do. Come on.”

Krolia jetpacks off the rock and begins a meteor-hopping excursion, with Keith right behind her. “As long as we stay within the borders of the space-time drop-offs, we should be safe.”

“Basically, stay close so we won’t be drawn into the gravity well and stretched into nothingness like those creatures. Got it.”

\---------------

Landing on a large meteor, the area is shaken by a strong tremor.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

What perplexes Keith is that the tremor is not coming from the rock on which he is standing, but from the space around it.

Krolia looks towards the closest dark star and her eyes grow wide with concern. A bright light emerges from the center of the star. The light suddenly fades, and the star goes black for a split-tick, before an eruption of intense white light shoots out from it.

It is the beginning of a space-time disturbance. As the light shoots towards them, Krolia does what any mother would do.

She uses her body as a shield and throws herself over her son, to protect him at all costs.

**Vision: Keith Past and Future**

_Keith slowly opens his eyes and notices he is wearing his favorite red jacket over a black T-shirt. Sitting up, he looks around and finds himself in an all-white environment with nothing visible to help him get oriented to his surroundings._

_Dazed and confused, he shouts out in panic and tries to crawl away. From what, he is not sure._

_Eventually gaining tenuous control over his panic reflex, he cries out. “H…hello?”_

_His cry of panic is met by a cry of another sort._

_The cry of a newborn baby._

_The white light begins to fade. He finds himself sitting on the ground a short distance from the front of the house he and his father shared when he was a young boy. Standing in front of that house is his father, and Krolia._

_Krolia holds a bundle that both she and his father fawn over. Seeing movement, he realizes that the bundle is their child; that he is that child; and that they are making an important decision that involves him._

_“We’ll name him Yorak.”_

_Keith sees his father give his mother the same look he would give Keith whenever he said or did something that was so outrageous it was funny. Keith sees in his father’s eyes the love his dad has for his mother._

_Tactful as always, Dad suggests a different name. “How about Keith?”_

_Krolia looks down at her newborn son as he settles down from his recent ordeal. “Keith. I like that.”_

_\---------------_

_The blinding white light overtakes him yet again, this time depositing him in familiar surroundings._

_Keith lies in a heap in the cockpit of the Black Lion, battered, bruised, and bleeding badly. Smoke from a recent battle wafts through the air as the door to the escape hatch in the top of Black’s head opens. The light from outside is blinding, yet he can make out a presence in the open hatch._

_He is barely conscious when a masked female Blade of Marmora operative drops into the cockpit from the escape hatch and finds him._

_Frantic at what she sees, she calls out to him. “Keith! Hold on! We’re going to get you out of here. Hold on, please!”_

\---------------

The Quantum Abyss

Keith returns from the visions, disoriented and panting heavily in a blind panic. He looks around frantically to get his bearings, finally settling on the sight of his mother staring calmly at him.

He grabs his mother’s wrist and clamps down firmly. “What was that? Were those visions real?”

Krolia rubs Keith’s arm to calm him down. “Time collapses this close to dark stars.” She stands and helps him up. “Going through the light triggers glimpses of the past and the future.”

The first vision was obviously from his past. He looks at Krolia with a quizzical look. “Yorak? You almost named me Yorak?”

Krolia gives him an awkwardly shy smile. “I liked it. It’s an honored name in our family. But, I like the name we gave you more. It fits you.”

It is the second vision that unsettles him. A glimpse into his future perhaps? He is not sure. The one thing he is sure of…he recognizes the voice of the Blade of Marmora operative. He hasn’t seen her since the Kral Zera ceremony but…it is definitely her.

He mumbles to himself. “Well, at least I know she is alive. Saving my butt…again. As a Blade of Marmora of all things. Wonder what I did this time?”

**Friends Like These…**

Engineering Lab, the Castle of Lions

Pidge works intently at her workstation, marveling at what she has discovered. “It’s amazing how the Galran subroutines translate almost one-to-one with the Altean axiom inhibitors.” She gleefully plays with two wires connecting and disconnecting them. When connected, a small particle barrier rises. When disconnected, it drops.

Hunk crawls out from under the workstation where he is making final connections for the test they are about to run. Standing, he calls to the third member of their team.

“Ok, Lance, lets test this puppy.”

Lance sits at another workstation, looking at a screen but not paying attention to a single thing on it.

Hunk and Pidge stare at his back for a moment. Hunk knows exactly what is going on in Lance’s mind. Pidge does too, and she’s a bit annoyed because she wishes he would pay some attention to…someone else.

Hunk decides to tweak his friend by making a comment he can hear. “Oh, I think lover boy Lance is distracted not thinking about the Princess.”

Pidge picks up a small bolt and places it in the palm of her left hand. She uses the index finger of her right hand to flick the bolt in the direction of Lance.

Her aim is dead on as she strikes the oblivious Red Paladin squarely in the back of the head.

“Ow! What the heck!”

He turns to see Hunk in full tease mode, as the Yellow Paladin does his best Allura impression.

_“Oh, Lance, could you stop daydreaming about me and test the connection?”_

“Ha ha. Not funny.” Lance turns back to his workstation. “And I’m not daydreaming about you. I mean her. Ugh…” He rests his head on the workstation in frustration.

Pidge decides to join Hunk in the teasing of her friend. “That’s good. Because it seems like Allura’s got a thing with Lotor anyway.” Pidge stretches, and puts her arms behind her head, a smug smile on her face.

Lance sits bolt upright. “A thing?”

Hunk joins in. “Yeah, a thing. They’re probably gonna get married, you know, have babies with beautiful, flowing, white alien hair, all that stuff.”

Lance turns his chair to face them, clearly not enjoying the show.

Pidge jumps out of her seat, stands in front of Hunk, and the two join hands. “He’s probably proposing right now.” She drops to her knee in front of Hunk and goes into her best Lotor impersonation.

_“Princess Allura, will you marry me?”_

Hunk carries on with his Allura impression.

_“Oh, Lotor. You bad boy, of course I will.”_

Lance is furious. He sits and stews but says nothing as Pidge and Hunk share a laugh at his expense.

**Vision: “How I Met Your Father”**

The Quantum Abyss

Keith and Krolia continue their meteor-hopping excursion. Until Keith meets with an unfortunate accident.

Launching himself off a meteor, Keith is slammed by a space rock he did not see coming.

A horrified Krolia watches the spectacle and cries out to him.

“Keith! You’re getting too close to the gravity well! Use your thrusters.”

Stunned for a few ticks, Keith hears her admonition and brings his thrusters to full power. “I’m…trying…” Despite his best efforts, he slips deeper into the gravity well.

Krolia immediately springs into action. She gets as close as she can to him without putting herself in the danger zone. While she is moving towards him, Keith attaches a zip line to his Blade and hurls it into a nearby meteor. Krolia lands on the same meteor ticks later and gets a firm grip on the zip line.

Putting all her strength into the effort, she whips Keith out of the gravity well with one powerful tug on the zip line. Hanging on for dear life Keith finds himself hurtling towards Krolia so fast that he is in danger of flying past her. As he comes even with her position, she extends her arm.

“Keith, grab my hand!”

He grabs her hand as he zips past her, abruptly stopping his momentum.

Just in time for the pair to be hit with another space-time distortion.

\---------------

_ Space above Earth _

_Two Galra scout fighters approach Earth, their monitors displaying the wave pattern they have been searching for over the course of several phoebs._

_The communications link inside Krolia’s fighter comes alive, as her wingman and squad leader contacts her. “Is it possible? The signature is nearly identical to that of the Red Lion’s.”_

_The reference is to the Red Lion, recently discovered and taken by Commander Sendak. The Red Lion produced a unique wave pattern, which eventually led to its discovery. Now, the pair of Galra scouts have discovered a similar wave pattern on a primitive planet that is of no interest to the Galra._

_“We should obtain visual confirmation before we call it in.”_

_Her squad leader is adamantly opposed to any delays. “Negative. We’ve never received another reading like this before. There’s a Voltron Lion on this planet, I’m sure of it. Call it in immediately. That’s an order.”_

_A grim-faced Krolia stares straight ahead, pondering her next move._

_“I said, call it in!”_

_“Vrepit Sa!”_

_Krolia kicks her fighter into full reverse, putting herself behind her squad leader. Getting him in her sights, she opens fire._

_The squad leader, no slouch at flying himself, dodges her shots with a series of nifty rolls and dekes. “You think you can take all the glory for yourself?”_

_Maintaining focus on her target, Krolia returns the taunt. “I’m not looking for glory!”_

_The battle continues to rage above Earth. The squad leader turns his fighter and comes at Krolia head-on, firing several bursts. She successfully dodges most of the incoming shots, but one punches a hole in her starboard wing._

_Her fighter crippled, Krolia grunts and groans as she struggles to maintain control of it. Closing in on the squad leader, she takes dead aim at him and fires every weapon available._

_The recipient of ten nearly simultaneous direct hits, the squad leader’s fighter explodes in a bright fireball._

_Krolia’s damaged fighter spirals down towards Earth. Unable to maintain altitude, and barely able to maintain trim, she breaks through the cloud cover. She searches for a suitable place…or any place for that matter…to land._

_Her fighter crashes into the ground one quarter of a mile from an isolated farmstead._

\---------------

_ The Kogane Farmstead _

_Awakened by the racket of the crashing ship, the owner of the farm drives out to the crash site to investigate._

_Finding the demolished ship and wondering what the heck it is, his thoughts turn to the pilot and anyone else who may be aboard._

_“Let’s work on getting whoever you are out of here.”_

_Standing 6’10” tall, and of a muscular build, Stephen Kogane retrieves a fireman’s axe from his truck. He takes four powerful swings and slices open the cockpit. Pulling the cockpit slices apart with his bare hands, he is not prepared for what he finds._

_The pilot of this strange craft is a tall slender purple skinned alien, most likely female. He can tell she is badly wounded but alive. Through the smoke of the crash he sees the pilot strain to open her yellow eyes._

_Catching a glimpse of her rescuer, Krolia passes out._

\---------------

The Quantum Abyss

Keith returns from the flashback, still floating in space, his left hand in the firm and unyielding grasp of his mother. She pulls him to her, and he settle on the meteor next to her.

He takes three steps past her, looking away, coming to grips with the vision he just saw.

“That’s how you and Dad met.”

He turns to look back at Krolia, who is staring forlornly out into space. It seems Keith is not the only one dealing with the emotions generated by the visions from the past. This one has clearly shaken Krolia.

“How did you know to look for the Blue Lion on Earth?”

Keith’s question helps snap her focus back to the here-and-now. She does her best to recover and mask her reaction to the vision from Keith.

“We didn’t. After Sendak found the Red Lion, the Galra engineered a way to pick up on the Lion’s signatures from close range. Zarkon had thousands of scouts searching for them. The Blade of Marmora made sure to embed agents in as many of those scout teams as possible, to prevent the Galra from obtaining any more Lions.”

She casts her gaze back out towards space…in the direction where she knows Earth would be. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” She smiles warmly at the memory of meeting the man she fell in love with. The man who would become Keith’s father.

The space around them is rocked by the sound and tremors of another space-time distortion.

“It’s coming again!”

**Vision: “I Want to Help”**

_ The Cave of the Blue Lion _

_Keith finds himself an observer yet again, once more in civilian clothes. This time he stands in a cave. A cave he’s been in before._

_The cave of the Blue Lion._

_Standing in front of the particle barrier surrounding the Blue Lion are Keith’s mother and father._

_Krolia gazes up at the Lion in awe. “I never thought I’d see another Lion in my lifetime.”_

_Krolia had the opportunity to view the Red Lion shortly after its capture by Sendak. The Commander wanted to pull in the members of the scout teams searching for the other Lions to let them see for themselves what a Voltron Lion looked like.”_

_Keith’s father is equally impressed. “You’ve been telling me about this ship for months, but this is beyond words.” He turns back to Krolia “Are you sure you don’t want me to contact the Garrison? They could help.”_

_Krolia looks softly at her father. “Stephen, we’ve discussed this. It could put your entire civilization in jeopardy.”_

_Keith sees a sadness come over his father. “Does this mean you’re gonna contact your people and continue your mission?”_

_Krolia looks at the ground. To Keith, it’s almost as if she’s afraid to look his father in the eye. “My ship being destroyed was the best thing that ever happened to me.” She lifts her eyes and looks shyly at Stephen._

_After looking him in the eye for a full dobosh, she shifts her gaze to the Lion. “I wouldn’t go back even if I could.” She steps forward and stands next to Keith’s father, still gazing at the Blue Lion._

_“I have a new mission now. I’m going to stay here and protect the Blue Lion.”_

_The eyes of Keith’s father never leave Krolia as she speaks. Now, his sad expression gives way to one of hope. He reaches out and takes Krolia by the hand. Keith notices that their fingers mesh instantly and fit together perfectly. Krolia gasps and stares at their intertwined hands._

_Stephen smiles at the taller alien woman. “I want to help.”_

_She looks into the eyes of Keith’s father and smiles softly. The pair exchange a look, and Keith immediately knows what it symbolizes._

_It is the look of two people in love, gazing at the objects of their affection._

\---------------

The Quantum Abyss

Coming back from the vision, now slightly more used to them, Keith looks to his mother. She stares out into space, lost in the vision of a happier time, once again with the man she loves.

“You were stuck on Earth.”

She turns to face Keith, a look of sadness in her eyes. This time she makes no effort to disguise her feelings. “There was no better place I could be.”

To Keith it is obvious she misses his father.

He wonders…when should he tell her. Despite a burning desire to get back at the woman who left him as an infant, to make her hurt as badly as he does, he bites his tongue. To do otherwise would be cruel, and he has no desire to be thought of that way by anyone.

Now is obviously not the time.

**Are You Guys Even Listening?**

Paladins Lounge, the Castle of Lions

Lance sits alone in the lounge, slumped into one of the seats. He gazes up at the ceiling, wondering why he feels the way he does.

Lost in his thoughts, he is distracted by the sound of an approaching squeak. Make that several approaching squeaks. The Altean Mice have arrived to pay him a visit.

“Oh, great.”

One mouse jumps onto his forehead and gazes into his eyes, two deploy to the sides of his head, one on each ear, and the last sits on his cheek. “You guys here to make fun of me, too?”

The mouse on his cheek slips, causing Lance to think he’s trying to get into his mouth. He grabs the largest mouse by the scruff of its neck and sits up. The other three mice hold on to each other’s tails, so that Lance is in effect holding the four little critters in front of him.

“What are you doing? Leave me alone!”

He sighs and slumps back down in his seat, letting the mice fall onto his stomach. “Can’t a man sulk in peace?”

The mice answer his profound question with a series of very animated squeaks.

“Mmm. I’m pathetic. I used to make fun of people who would get their hearts broken. Heck, I was the one breaking hearts!”

The mice sit and squeak in sympathy, giving Lance their full attention. Unknown to Lance, the mice understand everything he is saying.

“I guess I never knew what it meant to like someone the way I like Allura. Allura’s not like any other girl I’ve ever met before. Probably because she’s an alien. But still. She’s smart, courageous, and makes me want to be a better person.”

He pauses to contemplate his words. “That is so weird to say.”

“And I can’t tell her how I feel. She wouldn’t’ take me seriously anyway. I don’t have anything to offer. I’m just a boy from Cuba, not a space Emperor like Lotor”

He hears what sounds like snoring. Looking down at the mice he discovers that is exactly what he was hearing. All four of the little devils are sound asleep.

“Are you guys even listening?”

**Reality Check**

The Quantum Abyss

The meteor hop continues. As anyone can guess, it does not go well.

Krolia’s exhaustion, despite her efforts to hide it from Keith, is beginning to show. Slumping as she lands on a space rock to catch her breath, she feels the vibration of Keith’s hard landing behind her. The sound of his panting fills her ears and breaks her heart.

“At the rate we’re going, it’s gonna take us a lifetime to reach the end.”

She looks back at her son. Even through his mask, she can detect the exhaustion etched on his face.

“We have to keep moving, Keith, however long it takes.”

Keith chooses to look at it a different way and he gives his mother a harsh reality check. “Without food and water, we’re never gonna make it. We have to come up with another plan.”

Krolia looks back at her son and realizes he isn’t giving up…he’s facing reality and wracking his brain to come up with a way to overcome their situation. She begins to weigh the options herself when tremors begin to shake the meteor they stand on.

Thinking they are about to be hit with another space-time disruption, they are shocked to see two immense creatures slowly fly over their meteor. As large as small planets, they have the appearance of a giant whales.

“Wha…what are those things?”

Krolia is just as shocked as Keith. “I don’t know. But whatever they are, these creatures seem to know their way through the Quantum Abyss without being drawn into the gravity wells.”

“Amazing.”

A second set of tremors rocks their meteor. This time it _is_ a space-time disruption.

“Here it comes! Keith, brace yourself!”

**Vision: “I Must Go”**

_ Southwestern North America, Earth _

_He opens his eyes and finds himself in the master bedroom of his boyhood home. His mother and father sit together on the bed as Krolia bottle feeds the infant Keith._

_From the nightstand, the Clan symbol on Krolia’s Blade begins to glow. His father looks out the window and turns grimly to Krolia. “We’ve got company.”_

_Krolia lays Keith in his crib, then joins her husband at the window. Three reddish-purple streaks of light paint the night sky with their contrails. Krolia recognizes them for what they are._

_“They’re Galra scout ships entering the atmosphere. They must’ve picked up the Blue Lion’s signal. We need to stop them before they report back to their command.”_

_“What’s the plan?”_

_Krolia lays it out as she dons her Galra scout uniform and points to a pouch lying just inside the bedroom closet._

_“I have explosives. They aren’t powerful enough to destroy a fighter. But if we detonate them in the intake valves, they could stop them from taking off.”_

_She places her Blade in the thigh pocket of her uniform as Stephen places the strap to the explosives pouch over his shoulder._

_She hands him what looks to be a triggering device. “When they’re set, use this to detonate the charges and take out the ships.”_

_“What will you be doing?”_

_Krolia puts her game face on. “I’m going to find out what the scouts know…and get rid of them.”_

_“That sounds final.”_

_“It is.”_

_Boarding his father’s hover bike, the pair take off for the Blue Lion’s cave._

\---------------

_ Outside the Cave of the Blue Lion _

_While Krolia makes her way to the cave, Stephen sets about planting the explosive devices on the fighters. Setting the charges on the first two, he makes his way to the third._

_He doesn’t realize that his movements are being tracked._

_On a small rise overlooking the site where the fighters are parked, one of the Galra pilots stands guard. Spotting the intruder moving around the fighters, he takes aim, acquires target lock, and fires._

_Stephen Kogane goes down in a heap, the triggering device tumbling out of the bag of explosives and landing mere inches from his hand._

\---------------

_ The Cave of the Blue Lion _

_The remaining Galra scouts pummel the particle barrier around the Blue Lion with energy waves, doing their best to defeat it. As the pair stare intently at the monitor tied to their barrier-breaking device, a Marmoran Blade whizzes between them. Tumbling end-over-end, the blade embeds itself in the device, shorting in out._

_Pivoting quickly, they spot Krolia charging, rapidly closing the distance between them. Dodging Ion rifle fire, she slides feet first and slams hard into one of the scouts. As the scout goes flying backwards, she regains her feet, retrieves her Blade, and with one powerful swipe knocks the Ion rifle out of the other scout’s hands._

_Closing in for the kill, she hears a third Ion rifle charging up. The third scout, the one guarding the fighters, has gotten the drop on her._

_“Drop your weapon.”_

_Krolia freezes but holds on to her Blade._

_“I spotted her sneaking in. She was with a primitive who was setting explosives on our ships. He’s been neutralized.”_

_“No!” The immediate shock of the news of Stephen’s apparent demise is replaced by pure hatred for the Galra holding the rifle on her. She assumes an offensive pose with her Blade and prepares to attack._

_The rifle-wielding scout is quick as well. He draws a bead on her and acquires target lock. “I said, drop your weapon.”_

_Krolia spins the Blade in her hand, gripping the handle so tightly it begins to shake. Realizing she has no chance of defeating the scout, she plays the final card in her hand._

_The deception card._

_She raises her hands, closes her eyes, carefully drops the Blade, and counts to two. On the count of two she crouches, spins, plucks the Blade out of the air, and hurls it at the scouts rifle. Spinning end-over-end the Blade slams into the business end of the rifle just as the scout pulls the trigger. The impact of the Blade disrupts the rifle’s Ion beam, causing the rifle to explode in the scouts face._

_He tumbles to the ground, dead._

_The first scout she attacked now comes at Krolia. On her knees, she ducks a leg kick, spins, and stands, grabbing the leg of the scout in the process. She body slams him into the ground, head first, with such force that the scout is killed._

_With two scouts down, the enraged Krolia sees the third sprinting out of the cave towards the fighters. She gives chase, but the scout has too big a lead on her. She emerges from the cave in time to see one of the fighters lifting off._

_As she watches helplessly, the fighter streaks into the night sky. Then she notices an unusual light coming from the engine vent of the fighter. The next instant, the fighter explodes._

_Looking down into the ravine where the other two fighters are parked she sees Stephen, holding the triggering device._

_Severely wounded but not killed, he finds the energy to carry out his part of the mission Krolia laid out for them. Realizing the danger is past, he passes out and collapses onto the ground._

\---------------

_ The Kogane Farmstead _

_Krolia takes Stephen back to their house, where she tends to his wounds and bandages them. Suffering a broken arm and collarbone, and many bruises, he is otherwise in good shape._

_Stephen slowly walks over to check on baby Keith as Krolia stands, cross-armed, at the bedroom window staring up into space. She wears the face of a battle-hardened warrior about to do something they know they will regret._

_Unfortunately, she believes that fate leaves her no other choice._

_She looks to Stephen as he covers their son, sadness softening her voice. “I must go.”_

_Stephen closes his eyes, hearing the words he expected her to say. Knowing she was going to say them does nothing to ease the sting of hearing them spoken aloud. In the three years he and Krolia have been together, he harbored a deep-seated fear that she would return to space. He hoped the birth of their son would put any notion of leaving out of her head. A hope that now appears to be dashed._

_He makes what he knows is a vain attempt to dissuade her._

_“I thought you’d seen enough war.”_

_“If they found the Blue Lion once, they’ll find it again. I need to report back to the Blades and stop the Galra from the inside._

_She walks over to the crib and places her hand on Stephens. “I’m sorry.” She gazes lovingly at her infant son. “But this is the best way for me to keep you both safe.”_

_She bends down and kisses her sleeping son on the cheek._

_She stands and closes her eyes. One tear trickles down the hardened warrior’s cheek. She reaches into her thigh pocket and pulls her blade. Holding it in both hands, she offers it to Stephen._

_“This is for Keith. He may need it someday.”_

Watching the scene unfold, adult Keith is torn. Seeing the anguish on his parent’s faces as they face their impending separation is hard, but it gives him a perspective he lacked until this moment.

However, it does nothing to change how he feels about his mother’s departure. In his mind there had to be another way, and no one is going to convince him otherwise.

_He sees his father reluctantly take the Blade. Years later he would give it to his son but was vague about where it came from. Keith is certain he would have eventually told him more about it as he got older, had his father lived._

\---------------

_Ten minutes later, a lone Galra scout ship departs Earth. It’s pilot will not return for more than twenty years._

**The Hard Truth**

The Quantum Abyss

Keith returns from the vision, shaken to his core by what he’s just seen.

“I finally understand why you left.” He turns to face his mother and in an unsympathetic voice says, “You put the mission above all else. Above Dad. Above me.” He takes a deep breath and lets loose a heavy sigh. “You made your choice.”

Krolia is shaken more by the vision than Keith is. She just witnessed the memory of the single most painful thing she’s done in her entire lifetime, and she stands there devastated. She left for what she firmly believes is a valid reason, and now is the time to be perfectly honest about it with her son.

“That’s not true.” She closes her eyes. “I left to protect the person I love most.” She turns to face Keith and makes no effort to hide her tears.

“You.”

Keith harbors resentment against his mother for leaving him and his father. He still can’t understand why she abandoned him as a baby, effectively consigning him to the orphanage after his father’s death. When Krolia identified herself as his mother, the resentment about his abandonment that he repressed for so many years boiled to the surface, transferred to her, and was magnified.

He is face-to-face with the person responsible for his years of misery, and he is going to make sure he shares that misery with her.

“I’m sorry. Seeing that had to be painful for you.” Keith takes a deep breath. What he has to say next is going to be painful for he and Krolia, but he needs to get it off his chest before he suffocates. Out of respect for her as his mother, he keeps the anger out of his voice. His words alone are sharp enough to get his point across.

“But living nineteen years without my mother was also painful. You don’t know this, but Dad died. I didn’t want to just come out and say it, but you need to know.”

Hearing the news of Stephen’s death, Krolia freezes in place, the shock clearly evident on her face. She turns away as a sob escapes her lips, tears streaming down her face.

“No…no that can’t…" She turns to her son, "...that can’t be.”

“I’m sorry. But it’s true. Dad’s gone.”

Keith pauses for a moment to allow Krolia time to deal with the shocking news before resuming his story.

“After he died I spent a good portion of my childhood in an orphanage. No family to look after me. No friends to turn to. I was surrounded by people who didn’t want me, and who didn’t understand me. I was completely alone. Because you weren’t there!”

“I know…you did what you thought was best for me. And I know you didn’t want me to suffer. But that’s what happened. I suffered. Because you left me, just when I needed you most. It will take a long time for me to forgive you for that. If I ever can. I know I will never forget it.”

Krolia is shocked and devastated. She knew her son would harbor resentment over her leaving, but she did not expect the degree of anger he shows towards her. Compounding his reaction is the news of Stephen’s death and Keith’s subsequent relegation to an orphanage.

She left Earth to protect her husband and her son. She closes her eyes as she tells herself she failed as both a wife and a mother.

In the end, her actions protected neither of the men in her life.

**The Space Ark**

The Quantum Abyss

Neither of them have time to dwell on the matter. Before Krolia can respond to Keith’s revelations, the ground they stand on begins to shake.

Keith looks out into space and sees an enormous Space Whale shepherding its offspring through the Quantum Abyss. “It’s another one of those creatures.”

Snapping out of her self-pity, Krolia sees an opportunity and seizes the moment.

“We have to get on that thing’s back! It might be our best chance!”

The pair make haste to catch up to the creature, putting their jetpacks on full power and leaping from rock to rock as quickly as they can. Frantically racing up the side of the closest meteor to the creature, they make one final leap into space.

The touch down hard on the creatures back, both executing flawless front rolls to help absorb the impact of the landing.

Panting heavily while on his knee, Keith looks over to his mother. “We made it. Will this thing really take us through the abyss?”

Looking about to get her bearings and checking the navigation records on her wrist device she says, “We’re about to find out.”

\---------------

The Space Whale

Exploring the back of the Space Whale, they are pleasantly surprised to find plant life of all types. Vents on the back of the creature begin to expel a gas that Krolia analyzes with her wrist device.

“This creature seems to be generating a gravitational field. The plant life, this ecosystem, this is all part of a symbiotic relationship with the creature. It’s also creating its own atmosphere. Nitrogen-oxygen mixture. Keith, it’s safe to unmask.”

Keith drops his mask as Krolia removes her helmet. They explore the back of the creature to get their bearings. To their complete surprise, they not only find abundant plant life with several varieties of edible fruit, but a water source as well. Several to be precise as multiple streams are found that lead into a large freshwater lake.

Gazing out at the lake, and marveling at the lush ecosystem, Keith shakes his head in amazement. “This is something you just don’t see every day.”

“Well, that solves two problems. Now all we need to do is build a shelter.”

Two vargas later, a temporary shelter is completed. They no sooner prepare to sit down to eat their first food in two doboshes when tremors begin to rock the area around them. They both recognize the tell-tale signs of another space-time disruption.

**Flashback: Dr. Hansen’s Warning**

_ The Kogane Farmstead _

_Baby Keith is two weeks old and running a fever. Since neither Stephen nor Krolia have any experience dealing with infantile diseases, they have no choice but to contact a medical professional._

_Doctor Philip Hansen, a childhood friend of Stephen Kogane, is one of the senior medical professionals at the Galaxy Garrison. Having grown up together, and best friends through high school, the two men remain close friends as adults._

_Because of the remote location of the Kogane farmstead, Dr. Hansen makes the long trip from Platt City after receiving a frantic phone call from his old friend. Krolia hides in the closet of Keith’s room while Dr. Hansen examines Keith and runs some tests._

_After 45 minutes, he asks to speak with Stephen._

_“Stephen, is there something you want to tell me about the child I just examined?”_

_Keith’s father feigns ignorance, as if he didn’t understand the question. “I’m…not sure what you mean, Philip.”_

_“Really? We’ve known each other how long? And this is how you are going to be? Let me cut right to the chase old friend. If I didn’t know better I would say that boy is not of this world. That lad has some readings and physical characteristics I’ve never seen before, and I’ve been working with children for almost ten years now. The whites of his eyes have an uncharacteristic underlying yellowish tone to them. When I shone an ultraviolet light on him, I noticed some unusual body striping. His heart rate is much faster than a normal child’s and…his heart is not where it is supposed to be in his chest.”_

_“Stephen, these are not characteristics of any human child I’ve ever examined, or of any child I’ve ever read about. I must ask you…who is his mother? And are you really his father? Did you get married to an alien and not tell me?”_

_Stephen can’t help but laugh out loud. He stands and walks to the bedroom closet where Krolia is hiding. “I am Keith’s father, Philip. And yes, in all seriousness, I did marry an alien. She calls it taking a life partner. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you who his mother is, so let me introduce you to her.”_

_He opens the door and speaks to the occupant of the closet. “It’s ok, Krolia. You can come out. We can trust Dr. Hansen.”_

_Krolia slowly steps out of the closet, causing Dr. Hansen’s jaw to hit the floor and his eyes to nearly pop out of his head._

_“Philip, let me introduce you to my wife, Krolia. She is Galra, and she is Keith’s mother.”_

\---------------

_The white light appears, then fades again. Several days have passed and Dr. Hansen, true to his word, has said nothing to the authorities about Krolia. Returning to the Kogane farmstead for a follow-up examination of his young patient, he also brings a warning to Keith’s parents._

_“I need you both to listen to me carefully. Stephen, under no circumstances are you to reveal Krolia’s existence, or that the two of you are Keith’s parents. If the Garrison were to find out, that would be the end of all of you.”_

_An alarmed Krolia rushes over to baby Keith’s crib. Adult Keith sees her pick up the infant and hold him close to her breast to protect him._

_His father turns to Dr. Hansen. “Philip, stop talking in riddles. What do you mean, the end of us.”_

_“It’s no riddle, Stephen. If the Galaxy Garrison finds out about Krolia, they will take all three of you into custody. They will run tests on Keith and Krolia, and there is no guarantee they would survive them. As for you, Stephen…if they take you into custody, don’t expect to be a free man ever again.”_

_“So, what do we do?”_

_“I will say nothing, you have my word on that. This farm is isolated. Krolia can live here unobserved. Keith looks like a normal human child, so he will be fine as long as you maintain the secret of who his mother is.”_

_Still clutching her child closely, Krolia approaches Dr. Hansen. “Philip, surely the Garrison personnel wouldn’t behave in such a barbaric manner…would they?”_

_“I’m afraid they would, Krolia. We’re dealing with human beings here. We are a selfish, and at times barbaric, species. We believe we are the center of everything, that we are the most intelligent creatures in the universe. Your mere existence shatters that mythos and believe me they will lash out.”_

_“Krolia…please trust me. if they find out about you, it will not end well for you or your child. I promise both of you, I’ll do all I can to protect Keith and his identity.”_

**The Talk, Interrupted**

Emerging from the vision, with Dr. Hansen’s warning ringing in his ears, Keith takes a seat and looks to the ground.

“When I joined the Galaxy Garrison as a cadet…when Shiro took me to be in-processed…Dr. Hansen was there. He was just named the Chief Medical Officer of the Garrison and he was overseeing the staff conducting the medical exams of the new cadet class. He personally conducted my physical exam. In fact, I was the only cadet he examined that day. Now I know why.”

He turns to face Krolia. “He was protecting me. He was keeping the secret of who I really was. From everyone, including me.” Keith makes no effort to hide the bitterness in the tone of his voice.

Krolia takes a deep breath. She can no longer put off the discussion she and her son need to have to clear the air and hopefully begin the process of making things right between them.

“Keith…we do need to talk. About what happened, and why I left you and your father. Before I do that, I want to say that I accept full responsibility for all the hardships you endured after your father died. I know that doesn’t take away your pain. I should have been there for you.”

“But let’s face facts. My presence would have been jarring for the humans. You heard what Dr. Hansen said. If they found me, both of our lives would have been over.”

“After your father and I took care of the Galra scouts, I knew the only way I could keep them from coming back would be to stop them before they got to Earth. I wanted to stay with you and your father. I loved your father, and I hope you believe that. I’ve stayed true to that love since the day I left the two of you. But between the constant Galra scout patrols and the concern about what the humans might do if they found out about the two of us, I was in a tough spot.”

“If I took you and your father with me, you would have been a half-breed child in a society that treats half-breeds like disposable commodities. Your father would have been treated far worse. The safest thing to do was to leave you on Earth with your father. You looked human, and I knew you would pass as a human…as long as Philip Hansen could cover for you.”

Krolia’s words are interrupted as a blue streak rockets overhead.

**The Sonai Emissary**

Keith visibly tenses and his eyes open wide as he watches the bright blue celestial object fly over their camp site. “It can’t be.”

He turns to his mother, a sense of urgency in his actions and voice. “We need to…I want to finish this conversation later, Krolia. I really do. But right now, we need to check this out. I’ve seen lights like that before. Come on!”

Keith sprints out of their camp with Krolia close behind. He tracks the rapidly descending blue light, until it hits the surface of the Space Whale in the high grass just in front of them.

Racing to check it out, Keith’s jaw drops when he discovers the object that created the blue streak.

Krolia sees the recognition in her son’s eyes. “Keith what is it?”

“That’s…that’s a Cosmic Dire Wolf Pup!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith's emotional reaction to meeting his mother for the first time in his memory was glossed over in the broadcast version of Razor's Edge. I felt it was important to show how these two deal with those emotions, not only for Keith but for Krolia as well. Both are emotionally scarred and damaged people, and they both have demons they need to rid themselves of. What we have here are two people who need to communicate to clear the air, and neither one of them are really equipped, emotionally or socially, to do it well. They struggle (as most people in real life would in this situation), and this chapter is the first part of that struggle. The struggle continues in the next chapter, but these two are not alone. 
> 
> They have a little friend, a reminder from Keith's recent past, to help them get through it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me on this work. If you've read it this far, thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> Next chapter is Razor's Edge Part II.


	14. Razor's Edge Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith struggles to come to grips with his mother's decision to leave him on Earth with his father while he was an infant. His anger threatens to permanently tear them apart, and it is up to an unusual third party to stage an intervention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter in this work, but there is a lot of ground to cover. It touches on a topic some may find sensitive (abandonment by a biological parent), and I've done my best to be as respectful to those potential feelings as possible. This chapter covers that two-year time period (Quantum Abyss time) that Keith and Krolia spent on the Sensaya (Space Whale). You know, that really really short segment that glossed over one very important topic...how Keith and Krolia reconnected and bonded.
> 
> Hope is not lost, and I injected a bit of humor to keep the mood somewhat upbeat.
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the memory of my parents.

**The Dire Wolf**

The Grassy Plain, the Space Whale

Emerging from the tall grass just behind the young Dire Wolf pup, a pony-sized eight-legged creature with large mandibles moves in for the kill.

Keith and Krolia draw their blades and waste no time taking decisive action. They attack the creature in tandem, subduing it in four Blade strokes.

Pausing to give the vanquished creature a cursory inspection, Krolia looks over her shoulder towards Keith. “Well, we needed a protein source and now we have it. Why don’t you check on our little visitor and make sure he’s ok. You seem to recognize his species.”

Keith cautiously approaches the young Dire Wolf. He is not unfamiliar with how to handle canine pups, having grown up with a dog before his father’s death. “Hey there little fellow. It’s going to be ok. You’re safe now.”

He slowly moves his hand forward, letting the frightened pup sniff it. His cold nose touches Keith’s hand, and he can’t help but smile at the ticklish feeling. The pup noses his hand in such a way that Keith finds himself stroking its head. Taking a chance, he brings his other hand in and begins to scratch it just behind the ear.

The pup whines in pleasure and wags its tail vigorously.

Krolia watches the scene with a smile on her face. “Looks like you’ve made a friend. Let’s bring him to camp with us. It’s not a good idea to leave him in the wild by himself, now that we know there are predators out and about. Who knows what else may be lurking around here.”

\---------------

Base Camp, the Space Whale

Displaying more of her basic survival skills, Krolia builds a fire and cooks the meat from their kill. She hands Keith a double ration of the cooked meat and points to the Dire Wolf pup. “See if he’s hungry.”

Holding out a slice of the meat, Keith lets the pup sniff it. After a couple of whiffs, he takes a lick of Keith’s offering; satisfied with the taste, he opens his small jaws wide and snaps the meat from Keith’s hand.

“Hey now, let’s leave the fingers little guy.”

The trio consume their meal with gusto. Krolia can’t help but smile at the care Keith takes with the young wolf. It quickly becomes obvious that her son and this pup are bonding, and that is perfectly fine with her. It will take Keith’s mind off the shocking revelations of the past two quintants.

Keith for his part enjoys working with the wolf, taking joy in seeing to its immediate needs. Having gained its trust, he begins to inspect it carefully, looking for any sign of injury. “Your markings look very familiar. I wonder…”

Before he can confirm his assumption, the campsite is shaken as the tremors indicating the arrival of a space-time distortion.

**Past Vision (Keith): Promise of the Alpha**

_ Braylar IV _

_Krolia finds herself standing on a ridgeline on a strange, heavily forested planet. A short distance away in a clearing she sees Keith, next to two very large wolves._

_Keith watches a ship fade into the distance as it heads out into space. He turns to board the Black Lion to leave as well, but before doing so he turns back to the wolves._

_Keith and the wolves communicate telepathically, and to her amazement she can somehow listen in to the conversation._

_“Soran, Ashira…I cannot thank you and the Sonai enough for all you’ve done. For all of us.”_

_Standing eight feet tall at the shoulder, the smaller of the two wolves, whom Krolia assumes is Ashira, stares at ship as it fades out of sight. “You are letting her leave without you?”_

_“She needs to return to her pack, Ashira. I must return to mine.”_

_“But what of the future?”_

_“The future is what the future will be. My path and hers may cross again. Or, they may not.”_

_“Perhaps someday soon you and she will walk the same path.”_

_“Perhaps.”_

_“Will you claim her at that time?”_

_“We…no…I respect her as a warrior, Ashira. I don’t think she would have me if I were to ask. Not as things stand now. The quarrel between our two packs is too great. The next time we meet I may be trying to convince her not to kill me.”_

_Soran joins the conversation and quickly regrets doing so. “A word of advice, Keith. It seems that even when we males are on good terms with the females of our species, the females are always trying to kill us over some petty quarrel. Respect their opinion and do not argue with them. It is much safer that way.”_

_Krolia chuckles at the exchange. “Smart wolf. But, I guess you didn’t get to be Alpha by being dumb.”_

_Ashira looks at Soran with a stern look and a growl and raises her paw as if to lash out. Seeing this, Soran quickly changes subjects before she hits him. “Be well Alpha Keith of the Paladin Pack. While our paths may not cross again, know that you always have friends among the Dire Wolves. We are travelers. Someday, you may see one of us again, when you need us most.”_

_“Thank you, Alpha Soran. Thank you Ashira. May fortune always smile on you both, and on the Sonai.”_

**Child of the Sonai**

Base Camp, the Space Whale

Keith looks sheepishly at Krolia, wondering what is going through her mind after seeing that memory. It doesn’t take him long to find out, and thankfully she’s focusing on the wolves and not…the other matter.

“So, you’ve had experience with these wolves before? What did you call them? Cosmic Dire Wolves?”

“Yes. That’s what they are. What you saw was part of my experience with the Alpha male and female of the Sonai Pack of the Dire Wolf clan. They make their home on Braylar IV, but they are travelers. Without a doubt they are the most intelligent four-legged creatures I’ve ever met…and they are a lot smarter than most of the two-legged creatures I met.”

A quick chuckle escapes Krolia’s lips. “That’s not hard to imagine at all.”

“They communicate telepathically, and they have this ability to teleport. I teleported with them a couple of times. It’s a strange experience, very disorienting at first. A bit like a Quantum Abyss vision.”

Krolia looks out into space. “That must be what this little guy was doing. He was teleporting from somewhere. Probably for the first time since he was really disoriented.”

“Keith…do you think he’s from the Sonai?”

Keith examines the markings of the young Dire Wolf. “Possibly. The Sonai are one of several Dire Wolf packs. This little fellow’s markings are like the Sonai’s. Hold on, let me check something.” Keith brushes aside the pups fur at the back of the head. He looks for a specific marking he knows is unique to the Sonai.

He quickly finds what he is looking for. “Krolia, do you see this marking here? It’s the same marking that Ashira has. I know because I treated her for poisoning and when I saw it I asked her about it. She told me that all Dire Wolves of the Sonai possess unique markings, markings that are passed down from the females to their young. It’s one way they can identify their offspring.”

“And this mark looks like Ashira’s.” Keith sits back and smiles down at the pup. “Soran told me I would see another Dire Wolf when I needed one the most. I just didn’t realize he would send his own son.”

Now that she has him relaxed and loose, Krolia decides to probe about the other part of the vision. “Keith…why were you on Braylar IV?”

Keith visibly tenses. He was hoping she was going to let that part of the vision slide, but no such luck. She’s a stickler for details and she’s obviously not letting this detail go.

“I was responding to a distress signal. Someone crashed, and I went there to help her…them…out.”

“Ah, I see.” Krolia quickly puts the facts together and constructs a cohesive story in her mind. He responded to a distress call from a female in which he possibly has more than a passing interest based on Ashira’s question about Keith claiming her. “And I’m going to guess you really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

The last thing Keith wants to do is talk about his personal life with Krolia, as the two of them still have a lot of baggage to unpack. “Yeah, I really don’t want to talk about her…it…Braylar IV…right now.”

“Fair enough. Look, it’s been a very long quintant and we’re both exhausted. Why don’t the three of us get some rest. We have something important we still need to discuss, but we should do it when we are well-rested and clear-headed.”

“That works for me.”

Keith and Krolia stretch out on mats of straw they made when setting up base camp. While not the most elegant bedding he’s slept in, it is surprisingly comfortable. He makes a bed for the Dire Wolf pup, but to his surprise the little guy snuggles up next to him.

Putting his arm around the pup, Keith slips into a deep sleep.

Space Whale, the Following Morning

Keith and Krolia fan out to explore the area around their shelter to find breakfast. Keith takes the young Dire Wolf pup with him. He spends most of his time away from camp trying to keep his rambunctious companion out of trouble. While the two of them return to camp empty-handed, Krolia returns with enough food for all.

Looking at a flustered Keith approaching her with a mud-soaked Dire Wolf pup, Krolia can only smile. “I see you had a successful hunt…for what, I’m not sure.”

“Yeah, someone…” indicating the Dire Wolf pup, “…was more interested in chasing bugs than he was helping me hunt.”

Krolia laughs heartily. “It’s the age. Go take him down to the stream and wash him off while I get breakfast ready. He…smells.”

She looks on wistfully as Keith struggles to wash off a very feisty Cosmic Dire Wolf pup who clearly hates baths. She remembers another youngling who was fascinated with bugs, and hated baths.

\---------------

During a late breakfast, the tremors commence yet again, signaling the start of a space-time disturbance. Keith sets his food aside and blurts out to his mother, “I guess we have to get used to these…”

**Past Vision (Krolia): Birth Announcement**

_ Blade of Marmora Headquarters _

_“You’re a WHAT??!” The look of shock and disbelief on Meltok’s face is unlike anything Keith saw during his time with his uncle._

_“You heard me, Meltok. I…I have a son.”_

_The disbelief is quickly replaced by joy as his uncle sports a grin from ear to ear._

_“Where is he, Krolia? How old is he? Where is his father? When did you claim each other? Are you bonded?”_

_Krolia sighs and hesitantly looks at her brother. “It’s…complicated.”_

_Meltok takes a seat and looks Krolia in the eye. “We have nothing but time, little sister. Tell me about my nephew.”_

_Krolia sits next to her brother and places her hand on his shoulder. “Well, at least you’re happy about it. Kolivan certainly wasn’t.”_

_\---------------_

_ Blade of Marmora Headquarters Earlier that Same Quintant _

_“Krolia, by the Supreme Spirit, what were you thinking? A child?”_

_“It happened, Kolivan. Ok? It happened. I’m not about to apologize for falling in love, and I’m certainly not going to apologize for having a child. I child that I love very much.”_

_“A child you apparently left behind on a primitive planet.”_

_“WHAT CHOICE DID I HAVE, KOLIVAN? YOU TELL ME! WHAT BLOODY CHOICE DID I HAVE?”_

_Kolivan takes a step back, shocked by the vehemence of his Senior Commander. “I apologize for my poor choice of words, Krolia. I meant no offense. But we must talk about this rationally.”_

_Krolia is in anything but a rational mood and Kolivan’s admonition only makes things worse._

_“Talk about it rationally? Please, spare me the ‘no-place-for-emotions’ speech. You make it sound like Keith is nothing more than a droid to be discarded when his usefulness is done. He is my flesh-and-blood. My child. I’m responsible for bringing him into this messed-up universe. No one else. And I left him behind. For his own protection, for his own good, I left him behind. I’m the one who must live with that decision. For the rest of my miserable life.”_

_“Krolia, what happens when the boy comes of age, finds out he is half-Galra, and starts looking for his mother? Are you prepared for the reaction, for the anger you will get from him when he finds you? And trust me, if he’s anything like his mother, he will find you.”_

_Krolia struggles to regain control of her emotions._

_“Am I prepared for his reaction? No. But I’ll face it when it comes.”_

_“That is all you can do. We will watch for him. Should we find him, we will alert you. Until then…are you ready to resume your duties?”_

**The Heart of the Matter**

Campsite on the Space Whale

Keith sits across from Krolia, his hand stroking the Dire Wolf pup as it drifts off to sleep. “Well, I guess we should finish that conversation we started yesterday.”

Keith gives her a thoughtful look. “Yes, we should. I can start if you like.”

“Yes. Please, go ahead. I want to hear what you have to say.”

“I had a chance to think about what you told me before this little guy…” He gently scratches the pup behind his ears. “…showed up.”

Keith takes a deep breath, ratchets up his courage, and looks her straight in the eye. “I guess…I just needed a little time to get over the shock. You know, the ‘Hi I’m your Blade superior, I’m also your Mom, now let’s get back to our mission’ announcement. That knocked me a little off balance.”

Krolia purses her lips and nods her head in agreement. “Yes. That was a bit cold, wasn’t it. I could have told you who I was in a slightly better manner.”

Keith lets loose a slight chuckle, which relaxes them both.

“For the longest time, I thought you had died. When I was growing up, Dad would often go outside in the evenings and look up at the sky. Sometimes I went with him. Once, he sat me on his knee and pointed out some stars. He told me that you were up in the stars. I thought…I thought he meant you had died and were in heaven.”

“And then I found out that I was really half-Galra. Talk about the shock of a lifetime. That put a different perspective on what Dad was telling me. He wasn’t telling me that my mother was dead…he was telling me that you really were somewhere in the stars. That’s when I decided to start looking for you, in case you were still alive…just as Kolivan said I would in that vision we just saw.”

“I wasn’t sure how to go about doing it, until I met Uncle Meltok.”

Keith pauses as he sees the shock on Krolia’s face.

“Wait…you met your Uncle? Wh…when? How? When did he tell you he was your uncle? What did he say about me?”

“I fought him during my Trial of Marmora one-on-one. He kicked my butt without really trying. He and I worked together on a Blade mission. I took him as a Clan Elder, at Kolivan’s recommendation, because I wanted to learn more about the Galra. He was great…very strict but also very patient. Except for the time I really annoyed him, and he smacked me across the back of the head.”

“Your uncle smacked you on the back of the head, eh? What did you do?”

“What did I…wait…you’re telling me you’re ok with him hitting your own son?”

“Keith, it takes an extended family to raise a child properly. I trust your Uncle. I had a similar experience with his oldest child. So, if you did something that caused him to smack you, all I can say kid is that you had it coming.”

Miffed by her response, he indignantly crosses his arms and pouts. “Can I get back to answering your questions, please?”

Krolia bites her tongue to keep from remarking about how cranky someone is. She chooses the safer response option. “Of course.”

“Uncle Meltok didn’t tell me who he really was. All I knew is that we were from the same Clan. I figured that out when he showed me his Blade. Same Clan symbol as mine…yours…ours. I found out later that we were not only from the same Clan, but from the same House. He told me he had a younger sister and that Clan, House, and Family affiliations are passed down from the mother. Before boarding his ship, Lotor addressed him as Meltok Uhler of House Dormond. Uncle Meltok then saluted me as Keith Uhler of House Dormond. It took a few doboshes after his ship left for all the clues he dropped for me over the previous movements to fall into place.”

“What I don’t understand is why he didn’t just tell me he was my uncle, or why he didn’t tell me about you.”

Krolia sits back and nods her head. “That sounds like your uncle. He didn’t hide information to play mind games with you, although he is very good at them. He didn’t come out and tell you about me or introduce himself as your uncle because it is my job to introduce you into the family. He’s very…traditional in that regard. Among the Galra there are tasks done exclusively by the mother and acclimating a child into the extended family is one of them. Please don’t hate him for not telling you who he was.”

“What you didn’t see in that vision was his full reaction to what I had to tell him. He was overjoyed to have a nephew. He kept asking me when I was going to go back to get you.”

Keith’s eyes narrow as his expression hardens. “So why didn’t you, Krolia. Why didn’t you come back for me? Or at least come back to check on me and Dad?”

Krolia senses the change in attitude and immediately becomes defensive. “Keith, when your uncle was working with you, did he teach you about the Galra caste system?”

Keith pauses to reflect for a moment. “Yes…yes he did.”

“Humor me. Tell me what he taught you about it. The condensed version.”

“Ok. The caste system is bad.”

Krolia closes her eyes and exhales a frustrated sigh, resisting the urge to slap him over his sarcastic reply. Opening them, she gets a hard look of her own. “Can you give me a little more detail than that, please?”

Keith relates to Krolia an accurate depiction of the Galra caste system, based on the knowledge imparted to him by his Uncle.1

“I would say your Uncle did a fine job teaching you about it. He was a bit more graphic than I would have been, but his descriptions are accurate. So, think for a moment. You wanted me to return to Earth and take you back with me…and subject you to the Galra caste system? I’d rather cut off both of my arms than do that to you.”

“If I took you with me, by age nine you would be working as a servant or a laborer to help support the two of us, performing hard work for meager rations. Galra society would use you up and spit you out.”

“The Blade of Marmora was not an option. Kolivan would have kicked me out of mission duty to take care of you. Which would have been difficult because being a single parent of a half-breed child carries its own stigma among the Galra. I would have gladly carried it, but you would have suffered!”

Keith is not satisfied with that answer and thinks Krolia is either stonewalling or making excuses. “Ok, fine…then why didn’t you come back to at least check on me? Or…let Dad know you were ok?”

The escalating tension of their emotions reaches critical mass and explodes.

“Keith, my mission was to keep the Galra from finding Earth. The last thing I wanted to do was lead them to it! As hard as it may be for you accept this, I had to stay on mission to keep you and your father safe!”

“And there we have it. Finally! The heart of the matter. Always the strict, no nonsense Blade of Marmora Senior Commander. Mission first above all else. How did that turn out, _Mom_? Dad in the grave and me in an orphanage! You had no clue what was going on because you didn’t care enough to bother checking on us!”

“Keith! That is not fair!”

“Not fair? You want to talk to me about fairness? Life’s not fair, Krolia. Deal with it!”

Keith wordlessly storms out of the shelter, his anger clearly visible for all to see.

Krolia sits by the fire, emotionally devastated by the blow-up with her son. Seeing the sad look on Krolia’s face, the Dire Wolf pup sits next to her, rests his chin on her thigh, and whines in sympathy.

Krolia scratches him behind the ear as she looks down at the young pup. “You’re not going to yell at me, are you buddy?”

\---------------

Campsite on the Space Whale, Much Later That Night

Keith sits his turn at fire watch as Krolia lies sleeping in her bunk. Following their argument earlier in the quintant the pair barely spoke five words to one another before bedtime.

On top of the anger and frustration he is carrying, he is now wracked with regret. He mumbles to himself. “One of these days, Keith, your temper is _really_ going to get you in trouble.”

Gazing into the fire, he is mesmerized by the flames and thinks back to the last time he tended a fire while watching over someone.

It was in the cave on Braylar IV.

She wound up there, badly wounded, poisoned, on the brink of death, because of a rash decision on his part. He let anger, not logic, dictate his decision making, and because of his lack of self-control she nearly paid the ultimate price.

He takes a deep breath and tries to push the thought of Acxa out of his mind. He stares into the fire again, letting his mind wander, so much so that he does not detect the tremors until a vision is upon him.

**Past Vision (Keith): The Right Thing**

_ The Cave on Braylar IV _

_“Forgive me, Alpha Keith. This female you defend so ferociously…she does not look like you.”_

_“No, Ashira. We are not of the same pack, but we are of the same…clan. The Half-Galra clan.”_

_“Yes, so you told us. Is she your mate?”_

_Keith looks at the sleeping woman wrapped up under the blanket, then back at Ashira. “No, she is not. Neither of us have…taken…a mate.”_

_Soran stares at Keith. “That is interesting. You say she is not your mate. Yet you defend her too vigorously and you tend to her too carefully for her to be anyone but your mate. You and she just haven’t claimed each other…yet.” He pauses while Keith squirms uncomfortably. “Or…Perhaps we are seeing the bond of respect between two warriors?”_

_“Yes. It’s a bond of respect. I do for her what I hope she would do for me were the situation reversed.” “I defend her and care for her because…my actions caused her to be here. I am responsible for what happened to her.”_

_“Indeed?”_

_“Even though we are of the same clan, there are disagreements between our Packs. We…fought. I damaged her craft, and instead of making sure she could make it home I left her. She was wounded. I was angry. I…did the wrong thing. I abandoned her.” Keith looks to the cave floor, hanging his head in shame._

_“But you came back for her. Whatever your quarrel, it was not so great that it kept you from doing the right thing in the end.”_

\---------------

Campsite on the Space Whale

Keith returns from the vision with a start. Shaking, he turns to see if Krolia is awake or still asleep. Her breathing is regular and calm, telling him she is still asleep.

Or is she?

One of Krolia’s many talents is her ability to act, and she executes a masterful performance. Her back to Keith, Krolia slowly opens one eye and reflects to herself on the vision she just witnessed. “Hmm…two horns, blue skin. She’s a Corillian half-breed. He really does have a thing for this girl. I wonder who she is…”

\---------------

Campsite on the Space Whale the Following Morning

The Dire Wolf pup saunters up to a slumbering Keith and nuzzles him by sticking his cold nose on his cheek.

“Ahhh! Pup! What is wrong with you this morning?”

Krolia, preparing food over the campfire, glances over her shoulder at her sputtering son and chuckles. “He wants to be fed. Get up and come over here, breakfast is ready for both of you.”

As Keith finishes breakfast, the Wolf cub approaches and sticks his nose under his hand. He continues to do so until Keith finally figures out that he wants Keith to scratch him behind the ear.

As Keith gives him the desired scratches, they are hit once again by a space-time disturbance.

This one is different from the others. It is not a memory from Keith or Krolia

**Past Vision (Dire Wolf Pup): Soran’s Charge**

_ Sonai Pack Compound, Braylar IV _

_Keith and Krolia finds themselves in an unfamiliar place. To Keith it appears to be Braylar IV, but not a location he is familiar with. They stand inside a wolf den, a short distance from Ashira and Soran. Outside they hear other wolves, and Keith and realizes where they are._

_“This is in the heart of the Sonai Pack Compound.”_

_Standing in front of Ashira and Soran is the young wolf pup. Seeing Ashira groom and fuss over him is all the confirmation Keith needs to know he is her son._

_“Are you ready for your journey, little one?”_

_“I think so, Mama. But I’m frightened. Are you sure this person will be good to me?”_

_Soran nuzzles his son, steps back, and speaks to him. “Yes, son, he will be good to you. He is called Keith. He is the Alpha of the Paladin Pack, and he is a friend of the Sonai. He was of great aid and comfort to the Sonai when we needed him the most. He saved your mother’s life. Now, we must repay his kindness.”_

_“Is he in trouble, Papa?”_

_“He is suffering, son. His heart is full of hate and rage.”_

_“Those are bad feelings. What can I do to help him, Papa?”_

_“Give him this message, son. Tell him he must find forgiveness in his heart for those who anger him. If he does not let go of the anger, it will eat him up from the inside.”_

_“Will it really eat him up, Papa? That sounds bad!”_

_“It is bad, son. The anger will not eat his body, but it will eat his spirit. He must forgive or he will be lost.”_

_“Where will I find Keith?”_

_“Our traveler scouts believe he and another of his pack are on a Sensaya in the Quantum Abyss. Mama will get you started on your way. When you get there, Keith will find you. When he does, you’ll know what to do.”_

_“Ok. I love you Papa.” The young pup turns to his mother. “I love you too, Mama. I’m ready.”_

\---------------

Campsite on the Sensaya

Mother and son return from the vision, both equally shaken.

“That didn’t look like a vision from either of us. How did the Sonai know we were on a…Sensaya?”

“Soran told me they were travelers. Their teleportation ability must be far greater than anyone suspected.”

The pair settle into an uncomfortable silence, the only sound being an occasional low whine from the Dire Wolf pup.

“Krolia, I…I need to clear my head. I’ll be at the waterfall. I’ll bring back dinner.”

Krolia agrees that they both need time away from each other. “Of course. I’ll work on the shelter.”

Krolia watches Keith and the wolf pup leave for the waterfall. As much as she wants to grab him and try to get closure to their discussion, she knows she needs to leave him alone. He has things he needs to work out, and she knows she can’t force it.

**Man’s Best Friend**

Waterfall on the Sensaya

Keith spends the next varga seated on the bank of the pool at the base of the waterfall. Mulling over and over in his mind everything that has happened since Krolia’s revelation. Replaying in his mind his time with his father. Trying to understand all the recent flashbacks to Braylar IV and asking why those memories are the ones popping up now.

And most of all he tries to make sense of the last vision involving his furry little friend. He turns to the Dire Wolf pup and smiles, seeing it lying peacefully next to him. “Oh, if you could only speak to me, little one. I could use some of the wisdom of the Dire Wolves right now.”

He sighs heavily and lays back on the bank, staring out into space. From out of nowhere, he hears a voice he’s never heard before.

“But I _can_ speak to you, Keith.”

He starts and sits up, looking around rapidly to find the owner of the voice. All he sees is the wolf pup, sitting and staring intently at him.

“No…it couldn’t…” He lays back down on the bank. “I’m imagining things now.”

“No, you’re not. What are you thinking about, Keith?”

He quickly sits up, pivots, and stares intently into the pups eyes. “Did…you just speak to me?”

“Yes. You seem upset. I asked what you were thinking about.”

“AHHH!” Keith scrambles backwards several feet, in shock.

“You can…talk?”

“No. I can communicate but I cannot talk. Not the way you do. You saw the vision. All Sonai are born with the ability to communicate with two-legs like you without talking. We just don’t want to most of the time.”

Keith recovers quickly, sits down next to his furry friend, and gives him a good scratch behind the ear.

“Oh, don’t stop. I like it when you do that. Mama did that for me all the time. It reminds me of her.”

Keith moves to sit directly across from the pup and begins a conversation that starts him down a path he never expected to travel.

“That was your memory in the vision. Your mother is Ashira, Alpha female of the Sonai. Do you miss her?”

“Yes. I miss her very much. But I don’t know when I will see her again. Or if I will see her again. Which is why I told her I love her before I left.”

“Why do you say you might not see her again? You will be rejoining your pack, won’t you?”

“I’m not going back to the Sonai. I’ve reached the age where Mama and Papa sent me out into the universe to find my own way, to find my own pack. And I found you. I’m a member of the Paladin Pack now, and you are my Pack Leader. I go wherever you go.”

“I see. How old are you?”

The young wolf puffs out his chest with pride. “I am six Bralarian cycles old.”

“Hmm…about four phoebs old then. Well, if you are going to be a member of my pack, what should I call you? Do you have a name?”

“No, I haven’t chosen one yet. Call me whatever name you please. I’ll let you know when you say one that I like. It might take a while though. Papa says I’m annoyingly picky. Whatever that means.”

“Look…I’m pretty messed up right now. I may not be the best person to be your pack leader.”

“I don’t believe that. Papa told me you are a good soul, a friend to the Sonai.”

“I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a good soul. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” After a moment of silence, the pup speaks up. “Keith, will you forgive your mama for leaving you? You seem very angry about that. I see how sad she is, and that makes me sad too. Why do you hate her?”

“I don’t hate…well maybe…just a little…no…I’m just mad at her, ok?”

“No, that’s not ok. My Mama always said that even if someone in your family says or does something you don’t like, or you think is bad, you should work it out and let them know you still love them.”

“Give me one good reason why.”

“Tomorrow is never promised. That’s what Papa always says. You should never let cross words be the last thing you say to someone in your family at the end of any day. They may be the last words you ever say to them, and that would be sad. Your last words at night should always be I love you. That way if something bad happens to them, they can die in peace knowing that you love them. Before I would go to sleep, I always told Mama and Papa that I loved them.”

Keith sits there, mouth agape. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with a Dire Wolf pup…”

“Why not? We’re good listeners.”

“How old are you again??”

\---------------

Campsite on the Sensaya

As promised, Keith returns with dinner for that evening. He and Krolia speak of mundane things, and both retire after very little conversation. They are still shocked by the vision from earlier in the quintant, and still numb by their confrontation the quintant before.

For his part, Keith is also mulling over his conversation with the Dire Wolf pup at the waterfall. If he told Krolia about it, she would surely think him crazy. For now, he’ll keep that to himself.

Satisfied that the Dire Wolf Pup would alert them to any dangers that may approach their shelter, Keith and Krolia retire for the night.

The vision that comes upon them that evening permanently sears the meaning of the phrase ‘tomorrow is never promised’ into Keith’s psyche.

For Krolia, it proves to be a nightmare of epic proportions.

**Past Vision (Keith): Demons**

_ Southwestern North America _

_The day starts with a lot of promise and excitement for young Keith. This is the day that his father takes him into the fire station to meet the rest of his fire crew._

_Clambering over the equipment under his father’s watchful eye, trying on the fire suits that are twenty sizes too big, the hat falling well over his eyes and ears, he enjoys his day of days. It is one he wishes would never end._

_Until everything goes horribly wrong, as the happiest day of his life quickly becomes his worst._

_Hearing the station klaxon sound, calling the firemen to duty, the Fire Chief approaches Keith and his dad. “Stephen, I can take him on this call and keep an eye on him for you.”_

_“Thank you, Pete. I would appreciate it.” He bends down to Keith and tussles his hair. “You listen to Mr. McElroy, ok. Fires are dangerous. You be careful. You are the only one of you we’ve got. Ok?”_

_“Ok, Dad! You be careful too!”_

_“Good. I love you, son.”_

_\---------------_

_The fire is enormous. When Pete McElroy arrives with Keith, the building is almost completely engulfed in flames. His father is already there with the other members of his team. Needing to check in with them, the Fire Chief calls a policeman over._

_“Tom, would you keep an eye on this lad for a moment? He’s Stephen’s boy. He was at the fire station and we didn’t want to leave him there by himself.”_

_“Keith, you stay here with Officer Thompson. You can watch from the car. Don’t get out for any reason. I just need to talk to your Dad for a minute.”_

_“Yes sir, Mr. McElroy.”_

_Keith sees his father helping someone out of the building, and he overhears his conversation with the Fire Chief._

_“Is that everyone, Stephen?”_

_“I think so. I’ll take one quick look around just to be sure.”_

_The Fire Chief grabs his arm to stop him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. That building could collapse any minute.”_

_“I don’t need a minute, Pete. I just need thirty seconds.”_

_Unfortunately, Stephen Kogane doesn’t have thirty seconds._

_\---------------_

_Keith watches in horror as the building collapses not more than fifteen seconds after his father enters it._

_“DAD! DAD! NO!”_

_Keith bolts out of the car before Officer Thompson can stop him. He is intercepted by Pete McElroy, who grabs him and holds him back. Young Keith struggles mightily to break his grip._

_“Please, Mr. McElroy! My Dad’s in there! I’ve got to get him out!”_

_“Come here, buddy.” The Fire Chief pulls him close and hugs him tightly. The other members of his father’s team, stunned by the building collapse and seeing the drama involving Keith unfold, circle around them._

_Pete McElroy looks Keith in the eye and says the words that have haunted him ever since._

_“I’m sorry, Keith…your father…he’s gone.”_

_“No…NO! YOU’RE LYING! HE’S…HE’S RIGHT THERE!”_

_“DAD!!!”_

**Forgiveness**

Keith and Krolia both awaken in a cold sweat. Keith is frantic, wide-eyed, sweating, thrashing about in a complete panic. Krolia rushes to him and wraps him in her arms.

Keith clings to her tightly, burying his head into her shoulder, sobbing.

“Why? Why did he have to go back into that building? Why? That was so stupid!” Keith weakly pounds his hand once on her shoulder, then clamps down with a vise-like grip on her arms, not about to let go.

Hearing and feeling her son break down, Krolia starts to cry herself. “Keith…I am so sorry. It’s all my fault. I never should have never left you. I should have taken you with me. I…we would have figured something out. I…I just don’t know what I should have done. But I shouldn’t have left you!”

Keith says nothing but clings tightly to her. Eventually the sobs begin to subside. “I know you…didn’t mean for that…to happen, Mom. But…you’re here now. Thank you for that.”

The tone he uses when calling her ‘Mom’ is so endearing it melts her heart. Krolia says nothing, instead pulling him closer to her, putting her hand on the back of his head as if to protect him, and kisses him on top of the head.

“I know I can’t change the things that happened during the time I wasn’t there for you. But I promise you, I will do everything I can to try to make up for it. I know it will take time for me to earn your trust. All I am asking for is a chance.”

Keith takes great comfort in his mother’s arms. It’s a feeling of support he never had as a boy after his father’s death. He closes his eyes, nestles closer to her, and does his best to calm down.

After a couple of doboshes he pulls away from her embrace and sits up. His eyes are red and puffy, but the tears no longer flow. Krolia can’t resist brushing away the remaining tears on his cheeks with her thumbs as she smiles at her son as only a mother can.

Rather than take offense, Keith smiles back at her in appreciation at her gesture of love.

“I…I’ll never forget that day at the fire. Or those awful experiences at the orphanage, growing up without you and Dad. But even though I can’t forget those experiences…I can forgive you, Mom. You did what any good parent would do…you did your best to look out for your child. The only way you could really do that was to leave me with Dad. That was my best chance. I understand that now.”

“You wanted me to give you a chance to earn my trust. It will probably take us decaphoebs to get through the Quantum Abyss, so we’ve got plenty of time ahead of us to earn each other’s trust. I’ll give you a chance, gladly…and hopefully you can forgive me for being a complete jerk to you. I just need some time to get my head screwed on straight.”

Krolia’s eyes water as she pulls her son in close for another tight hug. “Keith…sweetheart…you’ve done nothing wrong. You have every right to be angry with me for leaving you. I don’t want you to forget those experiences. They helped shape you into the person you are today. The good memories as well as the bad.”

“Don’t forget your father’s last words to you.”

Watching the entire scene with interest, the wolf pup saunters over and wiggles its way between them. He looks up at Keith with bright eyes, and Krolia smiles as she hears the pup whine at him.

While Krolia hears a whine, Keith hears something completely different.

“See, Keith. Was that so bad? You got hugs from your mama. Doesn’t that feel good?”

Keith smiles down at the pup. “Why you little…what am I going to do with you?”

The Dire Wolf Pup responds by giving first Keith, then Krolia, a sloppy wolf-kiss.

Keith looks his mother in the eye and smiles. “Well, it looks like our pack…our family…just got a third member.”

Krolia beams at her son as she leans in and kisses him on the forehead while scratching the pup behind his ears.

**The Family Elder**

Campsite on the Sensaya

First things first. They are going to be marooned on the Sensaya for some time, so Krolia focuses their efforts on the basic essentials of life.

During the following movements, Krolia teaches Keith basic and advanced survival skills. How to hunt, trap, and prepare meals by living off what the land will provide. While Keith learned basic survival skills while at the Galaxy Garrison, Krolia builds on them and teaches him skills unknown to the humans on Earth. Skills such as astral navigation and determination of location in the universe using stars as a guide.

They don’t overlook the third member of their family. Keith works diligently with the Dire Wolf pup to bring out his natural hunting instincts and skills. The two quickly become inseparable.

One quintant, while making improvements to their campsite to improve security, Krolia asks Keith about her brother.

“Keith, you were the last one to see him. How is your uncle?”

“He’s hurting, Mom. You know about his family separation, right?”

“Yes. It happened before you were born. We were on Corillia when she took the children and left while he was out on a mission. She never got over the death of their son on Xenelek. She blamed Meltok for it. It broke his heart.”

“Well, he’s out there looking for them now. I hope he find them. I’d like to meet my Aunt and cousins someday.”

“Mom, I have a question for you. Your parents…my grandparents…are they still…?”

Krolia sighs, looking Keith in the eye. “No, son. They were killed in…they were killed.”

“In Zarkon’s purge against House Dormond?”

Krolia perks up. “You know about that?”

“Yes. Not long ago, when I was on Galra Central Command, I met Lotor’s Dayak. She taught me quite a bit about our Clan, and a little bit about our House…and Zarkon’s purge against it.”

Krolia puts aside her tools and sits next to Keith. “What is the name of this Dayak who instructed you?”

“Sinara Riban of House Uwychlan. Why do you ask?”

Krolia sits back and laughs. “By the Supreme Spirit, it is a small universe after all.” Seeing Keith’s very puzzled expression, Krolia explains.

“Sinara Riban is THE Clan Elder for Clan Bardolia. She’s been around for what seems like forever. Keith, she was the Clan Elder for Meltok and I when we were children. She taught us everything we needed to know about our Clan and House. And a whole lot of other things for that matter.”

“Yeah, she’s an excellent instructor. A bit strict though. Actually, a lot strict. Actually, way stricter than Uncle Meltok.” Keith absent mindedly rubs the back of the head, and Krolia immediately catches the reference.

“So, you felt her riding crop as well? You’re in good company. Your uncle swears he has a permanent dent in his head from that thing. There are probably thousands of Bardolians of all Houses who’ve felt that riding crop. I never realized she was Lotor’s Dayak. Must have been before my time.”

“Like I said, she taught me about Clan Bardolia, and even a bit about House Dormond. She certainly filled me in on Zarkon’s purge of the House. I guess because he saw us as a threat to remove him from the throne. I don’t know.”

“I asked her what she could tell me about my family. She asked me who my family was, and she told me that I needed to find a Family Elder, that they could teach me about my family better than she could.”

“Well, I’m your mother. You’re not going to get a closer Family Elder than me…if you’re willing listen to me babble about our family.”

A twinkle comes into his eye as a sly grin slowly works its way across his face. “Why not? I’ve been listening to you babble about other things for the past six movements.”

Thinking he is giving her lip, Krolia looks at her son and sees the sly smile on his face. “Why you little…”

Keith gets up and sprints out of the shelter, calling out behind him. “Gotta catch me first, Mom! Come on, pup!”

“Come back here!” Krolia laughs as she sprints after him, with the Dire Wolf pup in hot pursuit of them both.

\---------------

During dinner that evening, Krolia begins Keith’s education about his family.

“From the perspective of Earth culture, your family name is Kogane. They are a patriarchal society, and family names are handed down from the father’s side. However, the Galra have a matriarchal society, and family names are handed down from the mother’s side. Your Galra family name is Uhler. Spelled U H L E R pronounced ‘oohler’. Got that?”

“Yup. I’m guessing it’s a sore spot with you if I mispronounce it.”

“Good guess. Word to the wise, don’t mispronounce it. At any rate, Dayak Riban probably told you that House Dormond is the oldest House in the oldest Galra clan. Family Uhler is the oldest surviving Dormond family. At one time the Uhlers numbered in the hundreds. Now, there are two of us. Three if you count your Uncle, although technically he’s now part of House Uwychlan by marriage.”

Keith ponders the information for a moment. “So, Zarkon wanted to eliminate our family. Sounds like he succeeded.”

“No, Keith. As long as one Uhler is alive, Zarkon hasn’t won.” She pauses for a moment. “Keith, did Dayak go over the lineage of the Emperors with you?”

“Going back to the time of Emperor Brogar, yes. I know that four of them were of House Dormond. I also know that Zarkon tried to have his chief competition for Emperor, General Bydgosz, killed before the Kral Zera ceremony. He weakened her to the point that she ultimately lost.”

“And did she tell you the families the Dormond Emperors came from?”

“No. But I’m guessing at least one was a Uhler?”

“That was a safe guess. Big risk taker, are we? Go ahead, pick a number.”

Keith decides to go high or go home. He holds up three fingers.

“That’s what it should have been.”

“Wait…two of the Dormond Emperors…were Uhlers? Which ones weren’t Uhlers?”

“Emperors Brogar and Mieszko were Dormonds from the Calemot family. Cheshot and Thurig were the two Uhler family Emperors. It would have been three Uhler family Emperors, if Zarkon had any honor and didn’t try to assassinate Bydgosz.”

She watches Keith turn pale as he sets his dinner aside. “Keith, you are a direct descendent of two Galra Emperors. Two of the best, and best loved by the people. It’s one reason why those two ruled so long. Now you know why Zarkon had it out for House Dormond in general, and the Uhlers in particular. He feared a general uprising backed by the military and he moved to eliminate the biggest threats to starting one.”

“If it weren’t for Admiral Trag stopping the genocide…”

“Is that what Dayak told you? That Trag convinced Zarkon to stop the genocide against the Dormonds?” Seeing Keith nod affirmatively, Krolia puts a serious look on her face. “Well, technically she’s not wrong. He did convince Zarkon to stop the genocide against _most_ of the Dormonds…”

Keith quickly puts together the rest of the thought for Krolia. “…but not against the Uhlers.”

“Or the Calemots. Call it what you will, the rest of House Dormond was desperate to survive. So, to them the sacrifice of two families was a small price to pay. Unless of course you happened to be a member of the targeted families. Zarkon knew who we were, and where we were. And that bastard had a long memory. He knew that Xenelek was garrisoned by the two Dormond families he hated the most.”

A terrible realization settles in on Keith. “That’s why Zarkon staged the raid on Xenelek. To wipe out most of what was left of the Uhlers and the Calemots? But you said that Uncle Meltok was House Uwychlan by marriage, right?”

“Yes. He is House Dormond/Family Uhler by blood, and House Uwychlan/Family Brylmar by marriage. That didn’t mean a thing to Zarkon. To him, Meltok was still Family Uhler by blood.”

“Historically, the Uhler and Calemot families were very close allies. We still are. Xenelek was an easy target for Zarkon. He could take out half of the remaining Uhlers and a more than a few troublesome Calemots at the same time. He just didn’t bank on the cleverness of your Uncle and your cousin.”

“But…why didn’t Zarkon go after you on Corillia?”

“There were other Dormond families on Corillia that sheltered me and the Xenelec survivors. That put Trag in a tough spot. He either protected all the Dormonds on Corillia, or he removed his protection and let Zarkon have his way. Being a Dormond himself, he couldn’t just rescind protection for the other Dormond families on Corillia to let Zarkon get to the Uhlers and Calemots, so he told Zarkon that Corillia was off-limits.”

“When Lotor evacuated Xenelek and moved the survivors to Corillia, I’m sure that royally pissed off Zarkon.”

Keith chuckles. “Good one, Mom. I’m sure it didn’t make the Admiral very happy either.”

“To be honest Keith, I don’t care how happy or sad that son-of-a-bitch is. Yes, he protected most of the Dormonds, but he is complicit in the murder of so many Uhlers and Calemots, because he looked the other way.”

\---------------

Throughout the following phoeb, Krolia provides Keith the details that fill in the family tree for him. Not only about the two Uhler Emperors, but other family members as well. In describing different members of the Uhler family, he is struck by one thought.

“Meltok told me that it was possible to tell a Galra’s House, and sometimes their family, by their Galra markings. From the way you described our ancestors, that seems to be the case. Is it?

“It is. Families possess distinctive physical features, and those features are passed down from mother to child. In our case, it’s the combination of our body striping, ears, eyes, and feet.”

“Yeah. Well I guess I’m swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool when it comes to the family physical features.”

Krolia cocks her head and stares at her son. “Keith…when was the last time you looked in a mirror?”

“I don’t know…maybe three phoebs ago, before I left Galra Central Command to find you.”

Krolia produces a small signal mirror, part of her survival kit, and hands it to him. “Take a good look.”

Keith is surprised…pleasantly surprised…by the visage that stares back at him. “Notice the yellow eyes with distinctive iris and pupil. Notice the body striping. Now, open your mouth.” Keith opens his mouth and is surprised at the size of his canines. “Those look like a good set of choppers to me. Here, let me show you one more thing.”

She pulls back the hair covering his ears, and he is surprised to see that the shape of them has changed. “Notice how they are starting to elongate?”

He hands the mirror back to his mother.

“Keith, you have all the markings of an Uhler. You’ve spent a lot of time among the Galra in the last two decaphoebs. Do you recall ever seeing anyone with the same combination of markings we have?”

“Now that you mention it…only Uncle Meltok and you.”

“Markings are passed down through the mother, not the father, and your combination of markings is unique to the Uhlers. You carry the family markings. Because you are a half-breed it took time for them to show. You’ve reached the age where they are showing themselves. You are an Uhler, no doubt about it. I would say you’re definitely swimming in the deep end of the Uhler gene pool.”

Keith turns to the Dire Wolf pup, who has been watching and listening to the conversation with great interest. “Well, little guy, looks like you aren’t the only one who inherited special markings from your mother.”

Feeling the all too familiar tremors associated with a space-time distortion, Keith rolls his eyes then looks at his mother. “Here we go again.”

**Past Vision (Keith): Emotional Manifestation**

_ Braylar IV _

_Out of the smoke and haze of the battlefield, the Alpha of the Hyena pack emerges. Larger than the others, he slowly approaches their position…and heads straight for the woman standing next to Keith. Dressed in black armor trimmed in blue and orange, she wears a helmet with a dark face shield preventing Krolia from making out her features._

_Keith steps in front of the woman, looks the giant Hyena straight in the eye, his Blade drawn, and challenges the beast. “I don't want to hurt you. But if you want to get to her, you have to take me out first.”_

_The Hyena pins its ears back, bares its fangs, and growls loudly at Keith. To Krolia’s surprise, Keith growls back at the hyena; she watches his fangs grow and eyes turn yellow as he confronts the Hyena and refuses to back down._

_He charges the Hyena, hacking at the front paw of the giant beast. Howling in pain, the Hyena swats him with his uninjured paw, slamming Keith to the ground. The force of the impact bounces him down the slope, with the Alpha Hyena in hot pursuit. They vanish in the mist at the bottom of the hill. She hears a cry of pain, followed soon after by a loud painful whimper from the Hyena._

\---------------

Base Camp on the Sensaya

Keith desperately tries to deflect Krolia away from the inevitable ‘who is she’ question. “Ok, explain to me why that particular vision just happened? Why did that one show up right now?”

“I’ve been wondering about that myself. Why certain visions pop up when they do. I think it has something to do with what is top-of-mind for people at the time they experience a space-time distortion. In this case we were talking about our family’s Galra markings. What we saw right there was very interesting.”

Keith is afraid to ask, but he does anyway. “Interesting…how?”

“I’m pretty sure what we just saw was an emotional manifestation of your markings. I’ve heard it’s a common phenomenon among half-breed Galra. They don’t manifest the markings from their Galra sides until they reach full maturity. That’s what happened in your case. An intense emotional reaction can also spark their manifestation, but only on a temporary basis.”

“You were definitely emotional there because…” Krolia smiles at Keith and knowingly wags a finger at him. “…you were protecting someone. Someone very important to you. Who is she?”

Oh snap, there it is. The dreaded question he knew was coming.

“Someone I met, and someone I’m not going to talk about because there is nothing going on between us. Zip, zilch, nothing. I’m not interested in anyone, ok? Can we drop it please?”

Krolia holds her hands up, palms out. “Ok, ok, I get it. You don’t want to talk about your girlfriend with your mother.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” He stalks out of the shelter in a huff, stumbling over a twig as he exits. He picks himself up as gracefully and rapidly as he can, collecting what is left of his shredded dignity. Turning back to Krolia, he sputters, “For the record, she tried to kill me!”

Grabbing his spear, he calls out to the Dire Wolf. “Let’s go. If you want to eat, we’re going hunting!”

The poor Dire Wolf shoots Krolia a very confused look and a quick whine, then takes off after Keith.

A bemused Krolia watches her son stomp off into the woods. Turning to begin meal preparations, she chuckles to herself. “Oh Keith…it is soooo easy to punch your buttons.” His reaction to her question tells her she hit on the truth. He is very interested in whomever this woman is.

“Maybe I shouldn’t tell him that in some Galra clans, a female shows interest in a male by trying to kill them.”

**Fetch**

Base Camp on the Sensaya

One and a half decaphoebs pass on the Sensaya. Krolia uses the time to complete Keith’s Galra studies. She tutors him on Galra language, writing, customs and traditions. To stay sharp physically, they spar daily. Hand-to-hand combat and swordplay. Keith is cocky at first, but Krolia soon humbles him to the point where he readily listens to her instructions.

The Dire Wolf pup grows into a young adult. Five feet tall at the shoulders, he is not yet as large as his father, but he is still growing. Nevertheless, he is still a physically formidable and highly intelligent creature.

To pass the time and keep things interesting for the Dire Wolf, Keith tries to teach him a time-honored game of bonding between man and his trusty four-legged companion.

A game called fetch.

Keith throws a stick, then turns to the Wolf. “Go ahead. Go get it. Come on, this is a fun game.”

It is a game the Dire Wolf wants no part of.

“Fun for whom? You? I chase that stupid stick while you stand here and have all the fun? I don’t think so. You threw the stick. You go get it. I’ll wait here.”

Keith makes no further attempt to convince the Dire Wolf to play the game. It is never mentioned again.

\---------------

Over time, the space-time disturbances and their resulting visions come less frequently. Tracking their progress using the navigation charts from their fighter, Krolia determines that as they get further away from the cluster of dark and neutron stars, the frequency of the visions diminishes.

One of the infrequent disturbances takes place at night while Keith is sleeping.

**Future Vision (Keith): The Corillian**

_ Location unknown _

_Keith is on a strange ship, seated next to a blue-skinned young woman. Krolia can’t make out her facial features, but she guesses she is the same Corillian she saw in the vision from the Cave on Braylar IV, a half-breed like her son. She speaks to Keith in a language that she is familiar with but hasn’t heard in over fifty decaphoebs._

_One phrase stands out above all others._

_“Jokan ihr Markana, Keith?”_

\---------------

Base Camp on the Sensaya

Krolia awakens and sits up. Looking over at her son, she can tell he is still sound asleep. Grateful for that, she ponders what she just saw.

“Well now…Not interested in anyone, eh lover boy? I don’t know who she is because you won’t tell me. But I do know she’s a Corillian half-breed. Probably the one you were protecting on Braylar IV. Looks like I need to make some changes to your language lessons.”

She settles down in hopes of getting back to sleep, a smug smile on her face. “After all, you’ll want to know how to respond properly to _that_ question.”

**Journey’s End**

Looking up at the star patterns and noticing a change, Krolia checks the navigation chart in her wrist device.

“Keith…I think we’ve made it.”

“It’s been two years. We can finally finish our mission.”

Two movements have passed in the rest of the universe, but it’s been two decaphoebs in Quantum Abyss time. During this time, Keith physically matures into a young adult Galra half breed. He’s grown to nearly his father’s height, his shoulders have broadened, and his physical build is muscular, having worked in the physically demanding environment on the back of the Sensaya. His Galra features…the body striping, the yellow eyes, the fangs…are no longer hidden. Nor does he have any desire to hide them.

He is half-Galra, and he is proud to be half-Galra.

He is finally at peace with the decision his mother made years before to leave him in the care of his father. Given the circumstances at the time, it was the most rational decision she could have made. Any other would have been calamitous for them both. His father’s death and Keith’s subsequent suffering in the orphanage were events she could not have foreseen.

He will never forget his experiences following his father’s death, but he no longer holds his mother responsible for them. With the help of a Dire Wolf, he has forgiven Krolia.

True to her word, Krolia works tirelessly to earn her son’s forgiveness. In the process, she trains and educates him in the ways of the Galra. She hones his natural ability as a swordfighter and teaches him as many of her tricks as she can remember. Coupled with his swordplay lessons, she schools him in the Galra art of war, both as a tactician and as a leader. 

She also makes sure he is fully versed in the lore and history of the Uhler family, and the suffering it and the other Dormond families endured at the hands of Zarkon and his regime.

**Complications**

Sincline Construction Bay, Galra Central Command

Lotor and Allura continue their work on the Sincline ship. Physical construction is nearly complete, but there is still much work for Allura to complete when it comes to infusing the ship with the required Altean energy.

Her hands on the ship, a pink light radiating from those hands, Allura concentrates with all her might. Her energy expended, she breaks contact with the ship and collapses in a sitting position next to the ship.

A concerned Lotor sees her slump to the ground and rushes to her side. He helps a dazed Allura to her feet.

“You’ve done much today, Princess. You need your rest. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Regaining her bearings, she looks Lotor in the eye. “There’s still a long way to go but I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

Lotor takes her hand and smiles warmly at her. “None of this would be possible…without you.”

Allura returns the smile, the feeling of attraction for Lotor growing by the day.

\---------------

Allura’s Quarters, the Castle of Lions

An exhausted Allura staggers into her quarters and is greeted by a quartet of squeaking friends as she sits at her vanity.

“Oh, hello there! You guys look cleaner than usual. Did someone give you a bath?”

As Waldo, the larger of the four mice, and his slightly smaller brother Whiskers, lie exhausted and sleeping…because baths are tiring for mice…their brother Pete ruffles his fur to mimic Lance’s hair style.

“What? Lance washed you. That’s strange. Are you guys friends now?”

Willie and Pete squeak their affirmation.

“Really, you are? How did this happen all of a sudden?”

As Waldo and Whiskers continue their slumber, Willie runs in a full circle around Pete. Coming to a stop, the two mice form a heart with their tales.

Having a telepathic link to the mice, Allura immediately understands what they are telling her. “Oh. He said that?”

Her shoulders slump as she sits at her vanity, staring into the mirror.

This is a complication she really didn’t need.

**The Red Planet**

Sensaya, On the Edge of the Quantum Abyss

Breaking out of the Quantum Abyss, the Sensaya which harbored them for two decaphoebs (Quantum Abyss time) approaches a red planet.

Keith carefully tracks their approach as Krolia monitors the planet for signs of life. “I’m picking up some readings similar to those of the Quintessence Ranveig found.”

Keith turns to the Dire Wolf. “What do you think, big fella? Can you get us down there?”

Krolia is skeptical. “Keith, I don’t know about this.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I was skeptical the first time I did it too. But it works. He can teleport us over a short distance. We’re getting close to the planet, so he can get us there.”

The Dire Wolf looks at Keith and nods. “I’m ready Pack Leader. Tell Mom to grab onto my fur.”

\---------------

The Red Planet

Safely teleporting to the red planet, landing near the source of the readings Krolia picked up, the trio find themselves in a hostile landscape. While the Dire Wolf can handle the sparse oxygen levels, Keith and Krolia cannot and don their masks to breathe.

In front of them sits a massive facility, larger than the largest city on any planet Keith or Krolia have ever seen.

Krolia confirms her readings. “This is the source. Let’s go check it out.”

Finding an emergency access panel, the two Blades kick it in. Once the door panel is removed, the Dire Wolf teleports them inside. Looking around, they find another access doorway.

Hacking the controls, Krolia successfully opens the doors.

They discover that the massive facility houses a complete ecosystem. The trio look out into a field of blooming Juniberry plants. Just beyond the Juniberry field lies a forest, and in the far distance they see what appear to be mountains.

“What is this place?”

“I don’t know, Keith. Let’s be careful. Who knows what we’ll find.”

Cautiously making their way into the forest, Keith unmasks, and they carefully proceed. As they move through the woods, they hear birds chirping and singing.

The cheerful sounds of the birds mix together with something else. Keith holds his fist up to alert Krolia to stop.

“Wait, I hear something.”

He hears…humming. Coming from the bank of a nearby stream.

Peeking around a large tree, they find the source of the humming. A young woman kneels along the bank of the stream, rinsing out her laundry. Keith, Krolia, and the Dire Wolf stand motionless as they watch her toil at her chores.

Believing they are not making any noise, the young woman soon proves them wrong. Her ears twitch as she picks up the sound of their breathing. She turns to face them.

Keith and Krolia are wide-eyed with surprise when they gaze upon her face.

“An Altean.”

1 Refer to Chapter 3, The Prisoner, for Meltok’s lesson on the Galra Caste System.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you know that I like to use songs as inspiration when writing chapters. My inspiration in writing the scenes between Keith and Krolia in this chapter is 'Heart of the Matter', sung by Don Henley. To me the spirit of that song captures the struggle that Keith and Krolia are going through. This is an emotional topic for Keith. His mother left him and his father, his father was killed fighting a fire, and Keith wound up alone in an orphanage with no family to look after him. He is angry and frustrated. He keeps carrying his anger, and it is eating him up inside. 
> 
> For her part, Krolia is wrestling with massive guilt which only gets worse when she finds out about the death of Keith's father and the orphanage.
> 
> I used two phrases in this chapter that come from my own real life experiences. The first is 'tomorrow is never promised.' I lost my mother and father some years back (100 days apart), and the memory of how that happened haunts me to this day. What proved to be my last words to my mother were harsh. Hours later I was on my way to see her and apologize when I got the call that she passed away. I'd heard this phrase a few years before she became ill, and the meaning of it is seared into my psyche.
> 
> The other is 'you are the only one of you we have.' Spoken to Keith by his father just before he left to go into that building one final time. My father used that phrase on me quite a bit. I include it in this chapter as a homage to him.
> 
> For the next chapter I'm going to do my best to stick to my chapter-a-week release schedule but this coming week is going to be a nightmare at work so it may slip a day or three. I will keep the release notes in the work current. 
> 
> If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading it. Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and I will respond back to you.
> 
> Be safe!


	15. The Colony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor and Allura pierce the veil together, but the return of a prodigal Paladin and his traveling party throws their work into chaos and casts doubt on the true intentions of the Galra Emperor. Events quickly spiral out of control as the five members of Team Voltron square off against Team Sincline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows canon flow with major canon divergence. Additional detail is added to cover changed, vague, and dropped plot points from canon.

**Welcome to The Colony**

The Red Planet

Discovery by the Galra. That is the nightmare scenario for all the inhabitants of the red planet. Discovery by the race that destroyed their ancestral home world. Discovery by the Galra while their savior and protector is absent.

After letting her guard down for a short while, that is precisely the scenario that stands before the young Altean woman.

She doesn’t panic, and she doesn’t sit back to ask questions. Rather than wait for them to attack her, she brings the fight to them. Her first target is the shorter of the pair. The male.

Springing up from a kneeling position she sprints towards him, grabs his arm, and flings him hard to the ground. She turns to face the female Galra but before she can take any action she is decked by a roundhouse right. Knocked onto her back she scrambles to get up…until she is slammed back down onto the ground by the front paws of a giant wolf.

She is no match for the growling and snarling animal and believes she is about to meet her end. Until the male she just manhandled issues a sharp command to the wolf.

“NO!”

He approaches the wolf, places his hand on its shoulders, and appears to communicate with it. After a few ticks, the wolf steps back, still wary and growling.

The male extends his hand in an offer to help her up.

“It looks like we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. We are not here to hurt you. Let’s try this again. Hello. My name is Keith.”

Staring warily at his outstretched hand, she cautiously takes it and allows him to pull her up. “My name is Romelle.”

“Romelle. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is my mother, Krolia.”

Krolia removes her helmet and extends her hand in greeting. “It’s good to meet you, Romelle. Apologies for the punch, but…”

Romelle rubs her jaw. “It’s perfectly understandable. I attacked your son, and you were defending him.” She looks to the wolf. “Is that…a Cosmic Dire Wolf? I’ve only read about them. We believed them to be mythical creatures.”

Keith walks over to the wolf, scratches him behind the ears, and appears once again to be communicating with him. “They are anything but mythical. I’ve met them twice in my life, and I owe them my life.”

Krolia looks around the forest. “Romelle…what is this place?”

“You don’t know?” Seeing the confused looks on their faces, she smiles for the first time.

“Welcome to The Colony.”

**Sincline 3**

The Castle of Lions

Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Allura make their way down the hallway from the Paladin’s Lounge, where they just wrapped up a long game of Monsters and Mana, an Altean fantasy and strategy game that Coran broke out to entertain the Paladins.

“Lance, remind me how long Keith’s been gone now?”

“Two movements, Pidge. Good thing nothing is going on that requires Voltron. That would not be pretty.”

“Yeah, but I had a feeling that things would be quiet.”

She turns to Allura. “So, how are things coming on the Sincline ship?”

“We’re making slow progress. I’ve hit a wall when it comes to applying the Altean magic we need to help them get into the Quintessence field.”

“Don’t worry Allura, you’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so, Lance.”

As if on cue, Allura receives a call from Lotor. “Princess…I’ve found the solution to our last issue. Can you join me in the Hangar Bay?”

“On my way.” She turns back to the others. “I’ll talk to you all soon. This hopefully won’t take long.”

Hunk gives Pidge a playful shove and reflects on the game they just completed. He played the role of the magical warrior monk Block, while she played the role of the dwarf miner Meklavar. Together with Lance (a thief named Pike), and Allura (a mystical archer named Valayun), they defeated Coran’s character, the evil wizard turned Coranic dragon named Dakin.

The way they defeated him was…different.

“Great idea to transmute that food into oil, Pidge. Dakin never saw that coming.”

“Yeah, if only we could transmute the particle barrier’s polarity.”

Hunk chuckles. “Yeah. To do that you’d need some kind of quantum shift network to simulate a collapse of the wave pocket into a darkening perplexity.”

“Yeah, and that would be impossible without…” She pauses as the same idea hits the science nerd and the engineer at the same time.

“…changing the Planck Constant!”

As the two geeks run down the hall towards the workshop, Lance rolls his eyes and shakes his head.

“Somehow, I understand the fantasy words better than the science ones.”

\---------------

Approaching Planet Diabazaal Five Vargas Later

The Castle of Lions approaches the shattered remains of the former Galra home world, and the inter-reality gate constructed by Lotor before his partnership with the Paladins began. It is time to put Allura and Lotor’s hard work to the test.

In the Hangar Bay, Allura and Lotor stand before the just completed Sincline 3.

“I’ve waited an eternity for this.”

“We’ve done everything we can to prepare us for this moment.” Allura turns from the ship to face Lotor. “We’re ready.”

Lotor faces Allura and speaks softly to her. “It means so much to me to share this with you.”

\---------------

Hangar Bay, Castle of Lions

The Princess and the Emperor climb into the cockpit of the sleek ship. Lotor occupies the forward seat, while Allura occupies the one behind him. Sincline 3 powers up for the first time and in the cockpit, the virtual control panels come online.

The pair proceed to run through their preflight checks, with Lotor calling out his actions and Allura confirming their status.

“Beginning system check. Front and rear stabilizers.”

“Front and rear stabilizers are go.”

“Quintessence collection array.”

“Quintessence collection array is go.”

“Infracells.”

“Infracells up.”

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

Coran, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge carefully monitor the launch sequence on the main display screen. While Pidge observes the proceedings with a mixture of scientific interest and curiosity, the rest of the team is just concerned.

The voices of Lotor and Allura ring through the Bridge as they complete their pre-flight checks.

_“Dynotherms.”_

_“Dynotherms connected.”_

_“Switching on mega-thrusters.”_

_“Mega-thrusters are go.”_

The engines of Sincline 3 whine as they power up. Seeing Coran cross his arms and glare at the screen, Hunk decides it’s time to break the stony silence between everyone on the Bridge. Like Coran, he sees this mission into the Quintessence field as sheer folly.

“Ok, I can’t be the only one who sees that this is nuts, right? I mean just getting in there is a long shot. Then they have to make it out again.”

“I agree with Hunk. This plan is a foolhardy and unnecessary risk.”

Pidge takes a different view of the mission as she allows her scientific curiosity to take control. “I don’t know, Coran. I mean we’ve travelled through the Quintessence field to another reality. This isn’t just theoretical physics. Mathematically, we know it’s possible.”

Coran releases a heavy sigh. “Well, it is hard to argue with math. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“But even if they do reach the Quintessence field, then what? The last time anyone got in there, it turned Zarkon evil.”

Coran sees the perfect argument against Pidge’s scientific analysis of the situation. “Lance makes a fine point! Take that, math!”

Pidge immediately pokes a pin into and bursts Coran’s argument like an overfilled balloon. “Zarkon fell prey to his own evil instincts. The Quintessence field didn’t create them, it revealed them.”

The outer doors of the Hangar Bay open. Lotor lifts the ship off the landing pad, engages the flight controls, and takes the nimble ship out into space.

The quartet on the Bridge watch as Sincline 3 approaches the inter-reality gate that lies within the ruins of Daibazaal.

Coran leans forward as he gazes into the main screen. “So, this is goodbye…for now.”

Lance reaches out to Allura on the dedicated Paladin communication channel. “Allura.”

“Yes, Lance?”

“Get back safe.”

“I will.”

**Improper Proposition**

Haggar’s Flagship, Fire of Purification Fleet

The proceedings on the Bridge of the Castle of Lions are monitored by a sinister force on the other side of the Quadrant. High Priestess Haggar has been monitoring the construction of the third Sincline ship with great interest. Seeing the ship depart for the inter-reality gate, she calls for the Generals.

“It appears that Lotor has completed work on the third Comet ship.” She looks to Acxa. “I believe you call them Sincline ships.”

 _“Yes, High Priestess.”_ The three Generals stare intently at the monitor and are greatly confused by what they see.

_“Forgive me High Priestess but…how do you know all this? And…how are we seeing what we are seeing?”_

Haggar points to Commander Sendak standing just behind them. “When Commander Sendak briefly held control of the Castle of Lions, he planted a virus into its primary software systems. One that those fools have yet to discover. That virus allows us to eavesdrop on conversations in the Bridge and in the launch bays as if we were there.”

Acxa turns to face Sendak. _“Yes, I’ve read the reports on that operation. Seems you underestimated the Paladins, eh Commander?”_

Lieutenant Hepta, standing next to Sendak, steps toward her. “They got lucky that time. They won’t be so fortunate the next time we face them.”

Acxa stares at Hepta with a mixture of indifference and irritation. _“You seem rather sure of yourself, Lieutenant.”_

Hepta takes another step towards her. “I’m sure of myself in a lot of ways. If you are free later, perhaps I can show you what I mean?”

He reaches out to put his hand on her arm, and soon realizes he’s made a huge mistake.

In one fluid motion, Acxa grabs his arm and pulls him toward her. Sticking her right leg and hip out, she uses them to gain leverage on Hepta, a split tick before she body slams the now-airborne Lieutenant hard into the deck plating. Before the startled and breathless Hepta can recover, her foot is on his throat while his arm is being twisted.

Acxa is in no mood to play games. _“Struggle and you’ll lose this arm!”_

Hepta immediately goes limp, afraid she will carry through on her threat.

 _“Good boy. Let’s get a couple of things straight, Lieutenant. First, you are out of line. I outrank you. You will address me with the courtesy due to someone of my rank. Second, you are disgusting, and I wouldn’t be caught dead alone with you for one tick. Third, touch me again and you will lose something more valuable to you than this arm.”_ She gives it a little extra twist. _“UNDERSTOOD?!”_

“U…understood!”

Sendak is less than pleased. He takes a threatening step towards Acxa. “General or not half-breed, let him up.”

Sensing things are about to get physical, Ezor and Zethrid take supporting positions on either side of Acxa. She keeps her foot on Hepta’s throat and increases pressure on it; at the same time, she gives his arm an extra little twist. Hepta gurgles as he struggles to breathe.

_“Back off Sendak, or you’ll be looking for a new Lieutenant.”_

Sendak growls at Acxa while taking a step backwards. Returning the growl, Acxa releases Hepta’s arm and steps back between Zethrid and Ezor, glaring at Sendak the entire time.

As Hepta stands shakily, clutching his throat and carefully moving his arm to make sure it is still attached to his shoulder, Sendak gives Acxa a chilling warning. “You work for the High Priestess now, half-breed. That won’t be the case forever. This is not over. I’ve got a long memory. We’ll see each other again.”

Acxa doesn’t back down. _“So do I, Sendak. I look forward to it.”_

Sendak grabs his battered Lieutenant and tosses him toward the exit. “You must learn to not sully yourself with a half-breed.” They depart the Bridge en route to the shuttle to take them back to their own ship.

Zethrid sports a grim smile as she puts a supportive hand on Acxa’s shoulder and whispers to her. “Well done old friend. Remind me never to get on the bad side of that Corillian temper of yours. I pity the poor bastard that falls in love with you.”

The pair turn around and face the monitor. Still whispering, Zethrid finishes her thought. “If it were me, I’d have kept his arm as a souvenir.”

_“I was tempted…but I really want no part of that slimy bastard.”_

Silently watching the proceedings with some amusement, the High Priestess calls to the Generals. “If you are done playing, General Acxa, pay attention to the monitor! I will be sending the three of you out to the Castle of Lions very soon.”

Acxa bows and salutes the High Priestess. _“Yes, apologies for the interruption High Priestess, but…shouldn’t we be leaving now? Things appear to be happening quickly, and it will take multiple hyperspace jumps to reach their location.”_

“You won’t be using hyperspace jumps to get there. I have something else in mind.”

**Piercing the Veil**

Approaching the Inter-Reality Gate, Planet Diabazaal

“T-minus ten ticks to gate entry.”

As the countdown from Coran progresses, Sincline 3 approaches the inter-reality gate.

“Nine…eight…”

Lotor enters activation commands for the gate into his console. The lights on the inter-reality gate begin to glow, signifying it is powering up.

“…seven…”

Sincline 3 begins to glow a bright blue as the Altean magic infused into it by Allura begins to activate.

“…six…five…four…three…”

On the Bridge of the Castle of Lions, Coran and the Paladins hold their breath, hoping against hope that all goes well.

“…two…”

“Are you ready, Allura?”

“Here we go.”

“…one.”

Sincline 3 penetrates the center of the inter-reality gate. As it passes through, the control monitors on the ship crackle with static as the images on the monitors are distorted. The gate glows with an intense blueish-white light as Sincline 3 completely passes through it.

On board the ship, Allura and Lotor are surrounded by a bright white light so intense that neither can see their hands directly in front of them.

Then, all goes quiet.

\---------------

The Quintessence Field

The intensity of the white light dims slightly, just enough for Allura to see her instruments and Lotor sitting in front of her. Looking around, she sees that Sincline 3 is surrounded by a glowing field of white light. Large motes of energy glowing bright white tinged with pale blue float past them, penetrating the hull of the ship as if it weren’t there.

Making a 360-degree visual scan, Allura notes that nothing else is visible.

“Extraordinary!”

Lotor smiles with the satisfaction of achieving his lifelong dream of piercing the veil and entering the Quintessence field.

**Return of the Prodigal Paladin**

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Proximity alarms sound as the sensors on the Castle of Lions are tripped. Coran taps furiously on his control panel and checks the data from the sensor array.

“I’ve got an incoming craft.”

Not expecting another ship to arrive, Lance takes charge of the situation. “Shields up. And pull it on screen, Coran.”

The image of the incoming ship causes Coran’s jaw to drop. “That…that can’t be. It’s an Altean pod! A really old one!”

“What’s it doing out here?”

Coran recovers his wits quickly. “Let’s find out." He opens a hailing frequency to the incoming shuttle pod. "Attention, Altean pod, identify yourself.”

After a few ticks with only static as the response, the viewscreen springs to life and displays the image of the shuttle pod's pilot.

“Coran, it’s Keith.”

The shock of the visual image is immediate, powerful, and stunning. The person on the monitor sounds like Keith…he looks like Keith…sort of…but he’s not the Keith they know.

Coran manages to stammer a reply. “K...Keith! Are…are you okay?”

Like everyone else, Pidge can’t believe what she is seeing. “Where have you been? What…happened to you?”

Coran is still focused on the pod. “And how did you get your hands on that pod?”

Hunk stands stiff as a statue, speechless.

Lance is not quite speechless but still stunned. “Does he look bigger to you guys? He’s bigger, right? No?”

Making his approach to the Castle, Keith cuts right to the point. “Where’s Lotor?”

Hunk finally recovers his voice. “He’s in the Quintessence field.”

Keith grimaces and mutters under his breath. “Oh, no.”

\---------------

The Quintessence Field

Lotor checks the digital displays and readings on his console, awestruck by what he sees. “These readings are beyond anything I could have imagined. What we do here today will change the course of the universe forever.”

Behind him, Allura palms one of the energy motes and reflects on what they’ve accomplished. She thinks back to an earlier time when another person spent a great deal of time in the Quintessence field, and she issues a dire warning. “In the hands of the wrong person, this power could easily corrupt.”

Lotor glances back at Allura, knowing exactly who she is referring to. “Together, we’ll see it never does, and continue the work your father started so long ago.”

Allura smiles gratefully at the Emperor. “That would be amazing.”

Lotor turns back to his instruments and refocuses on the mission. “Now, let’s see if we can collect some samples.”

**WTF…**

Launch Bay, Castle of Lions

The team gathers as the Altean shuttle pod comes in for a landing. It is of a style and variety dating back to his youth, and one he has not seen in over 10,000 decaphoebs.

Opening the canopy, Keith jumps down and faces the team.

Staring slack-jawed at the person standing before them, they all realize this is…and yet is not…the same Keith who left them just a short time ago.

Slightly shorter than Lance when he left, and presently still somewhat short by Galra standards, Keith towers over the team, having a good five-inch height advantage over Lance. The eyes still burn with the same passion they did when he left, but the yellow sclera makes them stand out even more. The facial stripes, which begin just under his eyes, curl down his cheeks and down the sides and back of his neck leave no doubt that he is of Galra heritage. His shoulders are broader, and his general build, while lean, is a muscular lean.

Stammering, Hunk breaks the silence. “Keith…it’s so good to see you.”

Lance still isn’t convinced the Keith they see is the real Keith. He steps forward towards Keith as if to confront him. “Hold on. How do we know you’re the real Keith and not his bigger, cooler, grizzled, Galra older brother?”

Keith strides past Lance, snapping at him as he goes. “I don’t have time for this, Lance!”

So much for that concern. “Hey, everybody, Keith’s back!”

Keith approaches Coran, Hunk, and Pidge. “We need to stop Lotor. He’s not telling us the whole truth and we need to get to him and figure out what the truth really is. There are things he needs to explain.”

Still coming to grips with Keith’s appearance, Hunk stammers out a question. “Wh…explain what about what?”

“Everything!”

The surprises keep on coming for the crew of the Castle of Lions. The entire team turns towards the sound of a voice that is new to them all.

Now it’s Coran’s turn to stutter as he faces a stern-faced woman in traditional garb and distinctive markings of her own. “You’re…you’re Altean!”

Lance turns his attention to the tall figure standing next to the Altean. “And who’s the Galran?”

Hunk looks to the other side of the Altean woman. “Is that a wolf?”

Coran is still fixated on the Altean woman. “Where did you come from?”

Keith has more pressing matters that must be dealt with and he redirects the conversation. “I promise I’ll explain everything once we get to Lotor.”

Silent through this entire exchange, Pidge cautiously approaches her towering leader. “We can’t get to him. He just entered the Quintessence field with Allura.”

“We’ve traveled through realities before, Pidge. Can’t we fly in there and get him?”

Lance comes up on Keith’s right, carefully yet firmly looking him in the eye. “She said Allura is with him. We can’t risk hurting her. Why are we even going after him, Keith?”

Seeing tension beginning to escalate, Hunk tries to dial things back down. “Look, Keith…everyone…calm down. When they return, we’ll get this all sorted out.”

Keith releases a long sigh of frustration.

“I hope so, Hunk.”

\---------------

The Quintessence Field

Lotor and Allura continue their exploration of the Quintessence field and begin to feel its effects.

“I can feel the Quintessence coursing through me.”

Allura releases a contented sigh. “It’s like my spirit, my whole being, is more alive.”

\---------------

Haggar’s Flagship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Acxa’s reaction to seeing Keith stands in marked contrast to her earlier reaction to Lieutenant Hepta. Slack-jawed, her attention clearly riveted to the monitor, she feels her cheeks flush as butterflies form in her stomach. It’s been just over a phoeb since she last saw him at the Kral Zera, yet he his appearance has changed dramatically. She’s struck by the fact that he is physically taller, more muscular, and looks more Galran than human.

But what really draws her attention in ways she never imagined are his body markings.

She knew he possessed body markings as she got a brief yet unclear glimpse of them at the Kral Zera ceremony. Now, they are very pronounced, unmistakable, and striking…in a _very_ good way. She mutters to herself under her breath. _“He’s an…Uhler? I thought they were extinct.”_

His demeanor is also changed. The passion is still there…she can easily detect it…but it is tempered by a maturity that she hasn’t seen before.

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Getting Keith to settle down just a bit, Hunk addresses the same physical changes Acxa is seeing. “Lance is right. You have changed.”

“How long have I been gone, Hunk?”

“Not all that long. Just over two movements.”

Keith and Krolia exchange a smile. “Time is different where we’ve been, Hunk. Two decaphoebs passed for us while we were in the Quantum Abyss.”

“Wait…dude…you’re two decaphoebs older than you were when you left?”

“I am. That’s why my appearance looks so different to you. I always knew my Galra side would show eventually. Now it has. This is the real me, guys.”

The tall Galran recognizes Hunk’s name and approaches the Yellow Paladin. “Hunk, I am Krolia. Keith has told me all about you.” She turns to the others. “About all of you.” She turns back to Hunk and extends her hand. “Thank you all, for being good friends to him.”

Hunk takes her hand and gives Keith a quizzical look.

“Krolia is with the Blade of Marmora, Hunk. Also…she’s my mother.”

A grin that extends from ear to ear erupts across Hunk’s face. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Haggar’s Flagship

Haggar and Zethrid are shocked to discover that Keith is a half-breed Galra. Ezor on the other hand, shoots Acxa a sly look. Ezor is about to say something, until Acxa glares at her and mouths _‘Don’t you dare!’_ Ezor smirks but holds her peace.

Acxa calls their attention to Krolia to divert their attention. _“Blade of Marmora. Senior leader by the look of her. She looks like someone I may have fought before. But I don’t recognize her.”_

Zethrid smiles. “Assuming you did fight her here’s your chance to finish her off, since you obviously didn’t get the job done the last time.”

Acxa now stares daggers at Zethrid, who gives her a look of pure innocence.

“What?”

\---------------

Rather than fall for the distraction and watch the events unfold at the Castle, Ezor’s gaze remains fixed on Acxa.

Concerned at first for her old friend, Ezor quickly realizes why she is reacting the way she is and decides to have a little fun with her.

Ezor whispers, “Are you ok?”

Acxa responds rather unconvincingly without breaking her gaze at the monitor. _“I’m fine.”_

“Yeah, right.” Ezor looks at the screen and puts a lurid smirk on her face. “Is it me, or did he get cuter? Love the stripes.”

Acxa wheels on her, clearly not happy with the course of this exchange, and hisses a reply. _“Ezor, just stop!”_

“A little possessive and jealous are we?” Ezor drops the pretense and gets serious. “You’re the one who needs to stop and stay focused on the mission, Acxa. You need to get over this celebrity crush of yours.”

Acxa can only stare at Ezor, knowing she has nothing to come back with.

“You know I’m right.”

Acxa nods slightly then turns to face the screen, hoping Zethrid and Haggar did not witness that scene. She closes her eyes and thinks to herself. _‘Keith, please forgive me for what I’m about to do.’_

Haggar turns to the three Generals. “Depart for the Castle of Lions immediately. General Acxa, execute your extraction plan. Once you’ve completed the mission and are clear of the Castle, activate the package.”

The three Generals salute Haggar. _“Understood.”_

Ten doboshes later, two ships depart for the Castle of Lions. They are Sincline 1 with Acxa at the controls, and an Altean shuttle pod carrying Zethrid, Ezor, and a Galra pilot. This is the same shuttle pod used by Keith, Pidge, and Matt Holt the day Zarkon was killed by Lotor. Haggar made it a point to recover the pod, hoping it contained useful information.

It did.

Buried within the software of the pod’s navigation control system the Galra discovered a set of access codes that are about to become very useful.

\---------------

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Keith’s reappearance along with his passengers is just a bit more than Lance can process. “What? Ok, this is nuts! You come back with your Galra mom, a wolf, and an Altean?”

“Yes, I’m still waiting to hear the story of how you found this Altean.” Since the destruction of Altea Coran lived with the belief that he and Allura were the last of the Altean people. Now, staring at the young Altean woman, he is not so sure.

“And why we’re supposed to be attacking Lotor.”

“We’re not attacking him, Hunk. We need to convince him to tell us the whole truth about what is really going on, and what he’s really up to.”

Keith gestures towards the young woman. “This is Romelle, and I think she should tell her own story. This will answer your question Coran, as well as yours Hunk.”

Romelle turns her attention to Coran and addresses him directly, Altean to Altean. “I come from a planet where there are thousands of Alteans. We have lived there since shortly after the destruction of Altea by Zarkon.”

“What? That’s impossible. When Altea was destroyed, the Altean people perished with the planet. Allura and I were the only survivors.”

“I am living proof that you and the Princess are not the only survivors. We had an unlikely savior.”

“Every Altean child in our colony knows the story of how Lotor saved us from destruction. When Zarkon attacked, many were off-planet on trading expeditions. When news spread about the destruction of our home, those who remained went into hiding for decaphoebs.”

“But Lotor, with his deep knowledge of Altean culture, managed to track many of them down.”

\---------------

**Flashback (Romelle): Fugitive Alteans**

_An Altean couple, in disguise as members of the dominant race of the planet on which they are hiding, take a low profile as they share a meal together in a local establishment. Their reverie is disturbed when the privacy curtain of their cubicle is pulled back by a stranger._

_Surprised by the sudden appearance of this stranger, they are horrified when he pulls back his hood, revealing himself as Prince Lotor._

_The pair stand in preparation to flee, only to pause as Lotor raises his hand and pleads with them to stay._

_“Hear me out! I know who you are. I come in peace.”_

_Realizing they are trapped, the pair return to their seats. They warily eye the Prince, looking for any opportunity to escape._

_“I have come to save the noble Altean people, to preserve your customs and traditions before they are destroyed like Altea itself. Please, come with me. I have created a haven where the Galra will never find you. It may not be Altea, but it will keep you safe.”_

_More suspicious than ever, the pair do not move. Their eyes dart about seeking out any possible avenue of escape._

_Lotor calmly looks both in the eye._ _“If my intention were to kill you, then you would be dead already.”_

_Tired of life on the run, the pair drop their disguises and assume their true Altean forms. Standing, they follow Lotor out of the establishment._

\---------------

The Colony

“To keep the thousands of Alteans he tracked down secure, Lotor hid them on a remote planet beyond the Quantum Abyss.”

“The Alteans Lotor rescued came from all walks of life. He provided them with tools, materials, and plans to build our new world.

She pauses to allow Coran and the others the opportunity to absorb what she’s told them. “So, Lotor saved Alteans?”

Hunk is just as inspired by the story as Coran. “Man, Lotor is even nicer than we thought.”

Romelle resumes her narrative. “And over time, the Alteans came to worship Lotor as their savior. We went so far as to erect a monument to him on the edge of our settlement. Once every decaphoeb he would visit to check on our progress.”

“Generations ago, to increase our odds of survival, Lotor announced that he was creating another colony far from our own. But in order to do so, he needed to assess which Alteans were viable candidates to survive the journey.”

“One-by-one, every Altean in the colony was given a series of tests. Those who were deemed fit for the journey were loaded onto a cargo ship and taken to the second colony. It was considered the highest honor.”

“Any communication between the colonies was strictly prohibited, for fear that it would compromise the other’s location.

This was the world I was born into, one of unquestioning devotion to a supposed messiah.”

**Flashback (Romelle): Bandor**

The Lotor Monument, The Colony

“My younger brother Bandor was always faithful, but I had questions.”

_Romelle strides towards the base of the Lotor statue, where the names of those who departed for the second colony are inscribed. The marker stands ten feet tall by forty feet long. She kneels as she places her hand on the stone and sadly traces some of the names._

_“So many of our people gone to the new colony. Petrulius, Gautu, Rahz, and of course, Mother and Father. I miss them all so much.”_

_Her brother Bandor stands next to her and places his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll have a chance to see them again when we’re chosen to travel to the new colony.”_

_“But why can’t we talk to them now, Bandor? Lotor must have a way of communicating with them. He travels there all the time. So, why does he keep us in the dark?”_

_“You know why. Communication with the other colony would risk discovery by the Galra.”_

_Romelle stares grimly at the memorial marker of the departed Alteans. “So we’re told.”_

_\---------------_

_A Galra Transport ship is parked next to the Lotor Monument. Romelle and the other Alteans stand for the annual assessment to determine readiness for transport to the second colony._

_“I never met whatever requirements there were for transport. Eventually, Bandor grew old enough to be assessed for the journey to the other colony, and he was selected to leave immediately.”_

_Overjoyed at being selected, Bandor breaks into a quick jog towards the transport ship. A despondent Romelle sprints after him. “Bandor, don’t do this!”_

_Hearing his sister, he stops and faces her. “It is Lotor’s will.”_

_Romelle is beside herself. “I’ll never see you again! Don’t let him tear our family apart.”_

_Romelle kneels as she clutches her brother tightly to her. Bandor strokes the top of her head, attempting to calm his sister’s fears. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be selected to come to the colony soon.”_

_“In the meantime, I made you something.”_

_Romelle pulls back, puzzled by what her brother made for her. He places a small device into the palm of her right hand._

_“It’s a communicator.”_

_Realizing communication between the colonies is forbidden, she closes her hand around the device and clutches it close to her breast. Looking around so as not to be overheard, she says, “Will I be able to talk to you on the other colony?”_

_Bandor kneels to look her sister in the eye as he places his hand on her shoulder. “I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but I hope so.”_

_“Just remember, we suffer this isolation so the next generation may not have to.” It is as serious a statement as her carefree brother has ever made to her._

_He gives her a final smile then stands. “Goodbye, Romelle.” His hand slowly slides away from hers as he turns towards the Galra transport._

_A devastated Romelle watches her brother board the craft bound for the second colony. She remains on the heath long after the other Alteans have returned to their homes, looking towards the sky while her brother’s ship fades out of sight._

\---------------

The Colony

“When Bandor left, I felt completely alone. I tried to use the communicator he had given me, but it never worked.”

_One night several phoebs later, as Romelle lay sleeping, a faint trilling sound stirs her to wakefulness. Turning to her nightstand, she sees the communicator glowing brightly._

_“Bandor!”_

_Reaching for the device she activates it. A voice comes through the communicator. It is her brother’s voice, but it sounds very different from the voice she remembers._

_“Romelle…you were right.”_

_“Where are you?”_

_“The Great Forest outside town. Hurry.”_

\---------------

_ The Great Forest, The Colony _

_Frantic, Romelle sprints into the forest. Seeing a faint glow that should not be there, along with a rising plume of smoke, she heads directly for it. As she nears the crash site, her eyes are drawn towards the heavens. There is a hole in the sky, and sparks are intermittently dropping from it. The hole is surrounded by hexagonal shapes, the outlines of which are flickering._

_She quickly comes upon an impact crater containing a crashed Altean shuttle pod. Scrambling into the crater and racing through the flames licking at the craft, she reaches the cockpit. She finds her brother slumped over the controls to the pod. Pulling him upright into the pilot’s seat, she is appalled by his appearance._

_“Bandor!”_

_Her brother is gaunt and withered, aged far beyond his years. To her it is as if his life force has been sucked out of him._

_His eyes flicker open and he gazes into his sisters eyes._

_“Lotor…The other colony…It’s all a lie.”_

_Bandor draws his final breath and collapses into her arms as he passes into the afterlife._

_“No!”_

_Romelle hugs her brother one final time as tears stream down her cheeks._

_From the far side of the forest she hears approaching footsteps and the cries of others as they approach the crash site._

_“Over here.”_

_Romelle hears Ion rifles powering up. Gently laying her brother back into the pilot’s seat, she climbs out of the impact crater caused by the pod’s crashing into the ground. She hurries into the woods, pausing to hide just behind a large tree._

_After a dobosh, she quickly peeks out and sees Prince Lotor with two security guards._

_“Clean up the wreckage. Leave no evidence this ever happened.”_

_Romelle quickly and quietly leaves the scene of the crash, believing she is unnoticed._

_Lotor spots the fleeing figure and guesses this is the sister he knows Bandor has. He chooses not to pursue her. She’s suffered enough with the loss of her brother._

_He knows that if she tries to tell her story, no one will believe her._

**Flashback (Romelle): The Second Colony**

The Colony

“The following quintant, I confronted Merla, the leader of the colony, and Luca her aide. I approached them both and told them of the crash.”

_“Romelle, calm down. I can assure you there was no reported disturbance in the Great Forest last night. Nor were there reports of crashes, and certainly none about a hole in the sky!”_

_“I’m telling you Merla, they happened!”_

_“Are you sure this wasn’t a bad dream? We know how much you miss Bandor. Or maybe it was that problem we know about with the mushroom crop. We’ve had reports of bad mushrooms causing problems for people by making them hallucinate. Have you had any mushrooms?”_

_“It was no dream, Luca, and I assure you it wasn’t the mushrooms. I hate mushrooms! The crash was no dream, and Lotor’s presence in the Great Forest last night was no dream either!”_

_Merla and Luca are surprised. “Lotor…here…in the Great Forest?”_

_“Yes! He and some of his goons came to collect Bandor’s body and clean up the crash site. Merla, Bandor told me about the second colony before he died, and I believe him. What we are being told by Lotor is a lie!”_

“They didn’t believe me. Merla dismissed me out of hand. Luca, my childhood friend, someone I grew up with, called me the liar. She said that I was jealous because my brother got to go to the second colony while I had to stay back. She also accused me of trying to defile the good name of our savior and benefactor, Prince Lotor.”

“My brother was dead. I knew the truth, or at least part of it, but I also knew that no one would believe me without proof.”

“When Keith and Krolia arrived, they were my last chance at finding it. I told them what had happened to my brother, and as it turned out, so many Alteans that had been taken before him.”

“As they explained their mission to me, we knew there must have been a connection between the missing Alteans and the pure strain of Quintessence.”

\---------------

Romelle’s Quarters, The Colony

Keith, Krolia, and the Wolf huddled with me to discuss our next steps.

_“Given your brother’s weakened state, he couldn’t have piloted his ship for very long. The other colony has to be somewhere nearby.”_

_Krolia pulled up her navigation star charts for the area and confirmed a hunch. “There is a moon orbiting this planet that could house a colony.”_

_“Well, it’s our only lead. But how will we get there?”_

_“Can your Wolf get us there?”_

_Keith looked to his Wolf and got a prompt reply. “I’ve only travelled interstellar space long distance once, and once short range. I can get there myself, but I’m not strong enough to bring three other people with me. I’m afraid I’ll get people killed.”_

_“It’s ok.” Keith scratches the Wolf behind the ears to reassure them._

_Romelle looks to Krolia, points to the Wolf, then to Keith. “He…he can talk to the Wolf?”_

_“Yes. These wolves are incredibly smart. He and Keith have a…special relationship.”_

_Keith turns away from the Wolf and back to Romelle and Krolia. “He can’t get himself and three other people there. We need another way.”_

_A loud knock on the door disturbs the conversation._

_“Romelle! Open up! It’s Merla and Luca. We need to talk to you!”_

_Romelle turns to Keith. “We’re doomed! If she finds you here it won’t end well.”_

_Keith remains calm. “No worries. They won’t find us.” He nods to Krolia. “Grab the wolf and let’s leave.” He turns back to Romelle. “Do what you have to do. When they leave, we’ll be back.”_

_With a bright flash, Keith, Krolia, and the wolf vanish._

_Not completely understanding what just happened, but knowing they are no longer in her quarters, she opens the door to greet Merla._

_“We need to speak with you, Romelle. May we come in?”_

_“Of course!”_

_Entering her quarters, Merla gestures to Luca. “Check the quarters.”_

_“Wait…Merla what is the meaning of this?”_

_“You were seen with two strangers and a large dog coming out of the Great Forest earlier today. At least one of the strangers appeared to be Galra. Who were they?”_

_Luca returns from her search of the quarters. “There is no one here, Merla.”_

_Romelle’s voice drips with sarcasm. “I could have saved you the trouble and told you that Luca.”_

_She turns back to the colony leader. “With respect Merla, I have no idea what you are talking about. I was in the Great Forest earlier, that is true. I was doing my laundry.” She points to the basket of freshly laundered and folded clothes. “But I assure you, I was not with two strangers and a dog. If I had seen any strangers, and certainly if I had seen any Galra, you would be the first to know about it.”_

_Merla stares harshly at Luca, who flushes and looks down to the floor. “Luca, wait outside please.”_

_Realizing she is in a game of she said/she said, Merla issues a warning to Romelle. “It seems our information was not accurate, and I apologize for the intrusion. But you need to be careful Romelle. You’ve made some wild accusations recently. I’ll cover for you where and when I can but if you keep making unsubstantiated accusations I’ll have no choice but to bring you before the tribunal. Watch your step. Please.”_

_“Is that a threat, Merla?”_

_She steps closer and puts a hand of friendship on Romelle’s shoulder. “No, it’s a friendly warning. Out of respect for your parents. I promised them I would look out for you and Bandor and keep an eye on you both. Your father taught me all I need to know about running the colony. He is a good man, and I’m sure he and your mother are doing well on the second colony. Please, just be careful. Someday you’ll see them again.”_

\---------------

_One dobosh after Merla and Luca leave, Keith, Krolia, and the wolf reappear in a flash of light. As Merla’s warning rings in her ears, Romelle decides it’s time to visit the second colony._

_“Keith…you asked how we can get to the second colony. I have an idea, but we can’t get there without being spotted. I’m sure Luca has people watching my quarters.”_

_“Oh, we can get there without being seen. I just need you to trust me.” Keith walks to the wolf and puts his hand on his shoulder. “Use cardinal directions and just tell this guy where you want to go. He’ll understand you. All you have to do is hang on.”_

_“O…ok. Just hang on you said…” Choking back her fear, she gently grabs the wolf’s coat. “There is a large building on the East side of the settlement. It’s not guarded. We need to get inside.”_

_Romelle and the wolf vanish in a bright flash of light._

_ Shuttle Pod Hangar, The Colony _

_The quartet stand before a group of three Altean shuttle pods. “These transports haven’t been used in generations. None of the Alteans in the colony would know how to fly one even if we desired to.”_

_Keith sticks his head into the cockpit, takes a quick look around, and smiles back at Romelle. “I think I got us covered there.”_

\---------------

_ The Moon of the Red Planet (The Second Colony) _

_Keith pilots the Altean shuttle pod from the Red Planet to the moon where Krolia believes the second colony may be housed. Her suspicions are confirmed as she picks up some strange readings on her instruments._

_“There’s something down there.”_

_That something turns out to be another facility, like the one housing the first colony._

_“Keith…the colony I came from…is it in a building like that?”_

_Romelle stares at it in wonder, as Keith circles the shuttle pod around it and explains what she is seeing._

_“The first colony, the one you came from Romelle, is housed in a facility ten times larger than this. The large dome is the actual environment, where people live. It is nothing more than an enclosed environment, set up to simulate planetary conditions of seasons, weather, night, and day. The atmospherics in the facility are controlled to create wind and rainfall, which I’m guessing occurs on a randomly generated schedule so that it doesn’t appear too predictable.”_

_“The structures around the outside of the dome are facilities for making and recirculating air and water. That stream where we found you is sourced from the hydraulic facility.”_

_“Lotor set up natural obstacles that the Alteans could not get past with the technology they were given, so no one could reach the sides and realize they were living inside a building.”_

_“He could bring the large transports in for landings because the domes can be controlled using access codes in a way that allows ships to pass through them safely without crashing into them.”_

_“So, when Bandor crashed…the hole in the sky that I saw…he crashed through the roof because he didn’t have the access codes?”_

_“That’s exactly what happened.”_

\---------------

_ The Second Colony _

_Landing on the moon, Keith allows Romelle a moment to take in the scale of the facility._

_“All this time…we thought we were living free in the open on a planet, not caged in a building like zoo animals.”_

_Steeling herself for what they may find, she nods to Keith and Krolia and the quartet make for the facility, looking for an entrance._

_Finding an access tunnel and doing a quick check of security, they sprint along its length to avoid detection. Reaching the closed doors at the end, Keith forces it open with his Blade just enough for Krolia to get her fingers around the inside edges of the doors. Using her strength, aided slightly by Keith, she forces the doors open._

_Entering the facility, he makes an off-the-cuff remark to his Mother. “So, are all Galra women as strong as you?”_

_“No. Some are stronger. What you really need to be careful of are the women with strength and a temper. Particularly Corillian half-breeds. They can get very cranky at times.”_

_Krolia pauses to watch her son’s reaction to the little dig she just gave him._

_To her surprise, his response is refreshingly honest. “Corillian half-breed temper. Yeah…I’ve found out about that the hard way.”_

_Alert for a possible ambush, Krolia scans the chamber as she responds to her son. “Really?…You’ll have to tell me about that some time. But now is not the time.”_

_Carefully scanning the facility entrance himself for security cameras and alarms he says, “Agreed.”_

\---------------

_The group enters an immense darkened chamber, illuminated only by faintly glowing blue lights. What appear to be large cylinders are stacked in rows, four high. They are filled with liquid, and four tubes are connected to each of them. The cylinders are frosted over with a thin layer of ice._

_Walking the main row of cylinders, they come to the chilling realization that there are people inside the cylinders. What they can’t tell is if they are alive or dead._

_Name plates are attached to each of the cylinders. Stopping at one with a familiar name, Romelle brushes off the outer ice. Her fears are confirmed when she clearly sees the form of an Altean in the cylinder._

_An Altean she knows._

_She steps back in horror and lets out a cry when the Altean opens his eyes and stares at her._

_“No! Petrulius!”_

_She steps back and looks at the rows of cylinders in horror. “What’s happening to them? These people were supposed to be headed to the second colony!”_

_Keith and Krolia both recoil at the sight of the emaciated Petrulius. They recover quickly and make quick assessments of the purpose of the facility._

_A sickened Keith comes to the only logical conclusion he can reach. “This is the second colony, Romelle. Lotor is harvesting their Quintessence.”_

\---------------

The Quantum Abyss

“We returned through the Quantum Abyss, using the star charts Krolia had in her possession. Keith and Krolia warned me about the flashbacks caused by the space-time disturbances in that part of space. We were lucky…we only encountered one disturbance.”

**Flashback (ROMELLE): Goodbye**

_A tearful 15-decaphoeb old Romelle hugs her equally tearful eleven-decaphoeb old brother as they stand before their parents. Both parents were selected for transport to the second colony, and they are about to do the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do._

_Say goodbye to their children._

_“Romelle, you’re the leader of the family here now. We’ve raised you in preparation for this day. We need you to look after your brother while we’re gone.”_

_“But why, father? How can they take both you and mother away from us at the same time? It’s not right! You are our father! You are the colony leader! How can you leave now?”_

_Her mother kneels before her children and places a hand on each of them. “It is Lotor’s will. Merla here will keep an eye on you. She’s the colony leader now, and for you two she’s our stand-in. Go to her if you need anything.”_

_Bandor does his best to keep the tears from flowing as his mother goes to him. “Be strong, my brave boy. We’ll only be apart for a short while. We’ll see you and your sister on the second colony soon.”_

_“I know, mother. I’ll be strong.”_

_Their father kneels in front of them and cups their cheeks, one in each hand._

_“Just remember children, we suffer this isolation so the next generation may not have to. My hope is that someday through the efforts of your mother and I, and countless others, you and your children may live peaceful lives, free from fear.”_

_Their parents stand and give their children a final kiss._

_\---------------_

_Romelle and Bandor stand on the heath, watching the transport carrying their parents fade in the distance. Standing behind them, Merla puts a supportive hand on each shoulder._

_“Romelle…Bandor…come. It’s time we got you home.”_

**Showdown**

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Coran’s knees wobble as the impact of Romelle’s story sinks in. “That’s horrifying.”

Hunk wrings his hands in front of himself, unable to speak.

Pidge is chilled to the bone but finds the strength to voice her thoughts. “All this time…”

Lance is frozen in place, barely able to speak. “I can’t believe he fooled us.”

Pidge has another way to describe him. “He’s a monster.”

“I’m not ready to call him a monster just yet, Pidge. I jumped to conclusions about Lotor once. I know what we saw, and what Romelle told us is horrible. But we need to make sure of our facts and get the full story before we take any final action. For now, we treat him as if he’s hostile and go from there.”

Coran is having none of it. “What other facts do you want, Keith? The man is murdering Alteans! He’s just like all…” Coran stops himself, but Keith can fill in the blanks.

“Just like all Galra Coran? Are we going to have this argument again? I’m Galra. Ask me how many Alteans I’ve killed. Krolia is Galra. Ask her how many Alteans she has killed. Wait, I’ll save you the trouble and answer for both of us. _None!_ ”

Lance steps in to play peacemaker. “Keith, we get that. No one is accusing you or your mom of doing anything to harm any Alteans. Not all Galra are evil. But this one is!”

Before they can finish their argument, the proximity alarms begin to sound throughout the Bridge. Coran pulls up the source of the disturbance on the main screen.

“They’re back.”

Romelle is in no mood to wait. “What are you waiting for? Open fire!”

“NO! Princess Allura is with him.”

Not satisfied with that answer, Romelle gives Lance the dirtiest look she can muster.

“We’re going to let him back on board?”

“We must, Hunk! As long as the Princess is with him, we cannot risk any sort of attack.”

Keith hopes he can keep everyone calm and acting rationally. His fear is that he won’t be able to do so.

“Coran and Lance are right. We can’t do anything until Allura is safe. Once Allura is secure, we will take Lotor into custody. Let me be clear, no one is killing anyone!”

The wolf walks forward and stands next to Keith. “This is why my people stay as far away from your people as we can. You are all crazy.”

Keith rests his hand on the wolf’s shoulder. “Oh buddy, I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

\---------------

Launch Bay, Castle of Lions

Lotor climbs out of Sincline 3 and extends his hand to assist Allura. As she jumps down from the ship, he catches the tired Allura in his arms.

Standing, still in the arms of the Emperor, their heads close to one another, Allura looks him in the eye.

“We accomplished something amazing today, and it would have never happened had it not been for you.”

Allura breaks eye contact. “It is a moment that I truly will never forget.” She raises her head and looks longingly into his eyes.

They lean into one another, wrapping themselves tightly in their embrace, and experience their first kiss.

\---------------

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

Entering the Bridge, Allura and Lotor are confronted by a scowling Coran, stern-faced Hunk and Pidge, and red-in-the-face Lance.

Walking forward and approaching the group, a puzzled Allura greets them. “What’s going on?”

Her answer comes in the form of Keith and Krolia, who emerge from either side of the door. Keith with his Blade drawn, Krolia with her blaster pistol pointed directly at Lotor. Lotor looks over his shoulder at Keith and, seeing the Blade of Marmora uniform, gives him an ugly look.

He looks over the other shoulder and sees Krolia. He can’t resist throwing a mild taunt her way.

“So, it appears that the rumors of the extinction of the female line of the Uhler family are false.”

One that Krolia is very happy to return. “Oh, my family is very much alive.”

Lance draws his Bayard rifle, points it at Lotor, and calls out instructions. “Allura, step away from Lotor.”

Allura instead steps in front of Lotor, her arms outstretched to protect him. “I will do no such thing. Tell me what’s happening here.”

“Lotor is a monster and has been harvesting Altean Quintessence for generations!”

Allura turns towards the unfamiliar voice and is shocked to see Romelle.

Lotor’s eyes are wide with dread as he recognizes the traditional garb worn by the colony Alteans.

“An Altean!” Allura cannot contain her surprise. She turns towards Lotor, seeking an explanation.

Lotor crosses his arms, dips his chin, narrows his eyes, and stares at Allura. He is caught in a lie of omission and he knows it.

Romelle continues her accusation. “You killed my brother and thousands of others.”

Staring daggers at Lotor, Pidge hurls another accusation at him. “Lotor has been lying to us the whole time. He’s a murderer, just like his father!”

Lotor stands erect, puffs out his chest, and confronts Pidge’s accusation. “You know nothing about what you speak.”

A very confused Allura searches frantically for a clear explanation. “Lotor, what are they talking about?”

Lotor softens his tone, desperate to explain himself. “Allura, listen to me. I’ve dedicated my life to preserving Altean culture. Now that we have unlocked the Quintessence field, all of your people, who would have been hunted down long ago had it not been for my intervention, can live in peace.”

Allura’s demeanor towards Lotor slowly yet visibly hardens as he frantically tries to justify his actions.

“Were some lives lost in the process? Yes.”

Allura turns to gaze at Romelle, who is herself staring harshly at Lotor with a mixture of anger and sadness.

“But they were martyrs to a noble cause. I sacrificed a few to preserve the future for millions. Allura, do not let this ruin everything we’ve worked for.”

Allura closes her eyes and looks away from him, a pained expression on her face. She wrestles with emotions of hatred she never thought she would have to deal with again.

Lotor takes a step towards her, still pleading his case. “Think of what we experienced in the Quintessence field.”

He reaches down to take her hand, and soon discovers he’s made a major mistake.

Her eyes snap open, a fire burning behind them. Allura grabs his arm and pulls hard. Putting her hip and right leg out, she body slams the now airborne Lotor hard into the deck plating. So hard that he bounces twice before coming to a rest, unconscious. Anger flares in her eyes as she stares at the immobile Emperor.

She closes her eyes once again and does her best to regain control of her emotions.

Before Keith or the others can say or do anything, proximity alarms go off in the Castle of Lions once again.

Unlike the last alarm, this one is for intruders already in the ship.

Lotor’s Generals have arrived to claim their leader.

**Extraction**

Launch Bay, The Castle of Lions

A second Altean shuttle pod sits in the Launch Bay of the Castle of Lions, landing undetected while the Paladins confronted Lotor on the Bridge. It accessed the Hangar Bay thanks to the landing codes for the Castle of Lions that the pod contained in its navigation control software.

Landing codes that the team failed to change. They now pay the price for that oversight.

As a Galra pilot mans the shuttle pod, keeping it ready for a quick getaway, Zethrid and Ezor make for the Bridge, still undetected.

Quarterbacking the entire mission is Acxa. Watching events transpire on the Bridge through the spy software installed by Sendak, Acxa ordered the pod into the Castle of Lions while the Paladins were distracted. She took great care maintaining her distance so that she did not trip the proximity alarms for the Castle, until just the right moment.

Receiving word from Zethrid and Ezor that they are in position, she moved in and, using the same landing codes, hovered inside the Launch Bay to cover her team’s escape. Once in position, she deliberately triggered the proximity alarms to create a distraction.

\---------------

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

The team scrambles to determine what is triggering the alarms. It only takes Coran a moment to identify the cause. Pulling up a display showing the Launch Bay, the team sees the Altean shuttle pod on a landing pad and Acxa’s Sincline ship hovering near the exterior entrance.

“The Hangar’s been breached!” Operating with a high sense of urgency, Coran manages to acquire a scan of the pilot and quickly matches it to an entry in their database. As Acxa’s image flashes on the screen, Coran takes a guess at her mission. “It’s Lotor’s Generals. They’re trying to steal the Sincline ships!”

Keith grits his teeth and grimaces as he takes in the information. “Krolia, Pidge, let’s get down to the Hangar Bay and stop those guys. Hunk, Lance, Coran, see what you can do from here to trap them! And keep an eye on Lotor. They’ve come for him.”

Hiding in an alcove just off the Bridge, Zethrid and Ezor watch Keith and his party depart. Seeing half of the Bridge contingent race past them just as Acxa predicted they would, they share a smile. This is going to be easier than they thought.

As the door to the Bridge begins to close, they race towards the door. Throwing themselves forward head-first to get in before the door closes, they forward roll then stand to attack their first targets.

Zethrid immediately makes for the Yellow Paladin. A surprised Hunk goes flying with one punch. Airborne, he slams into Coran, causing them both to black out.

“You, stop right there!”

Lance is quick, but not quick enough. In one fluid motion Ezor spins, ducks a shot from Lance’s Bayard rifle, and takes him down with one punch.

Hearing Allura call for Lance, Ezor hurls two blades towards her. Allura dives out of the way as the spinning blades embed themselves into the wall of the Bridge.

Rolling towards Romelle, Allura barely gets to her feet before she and Romelle are knocked down by Zethrid.

Seeing everyone on the Bridge down, Ezor nods to Zethrid. Securing the unconscious Emperor, Zethrid carries him towards the Launch Bay as Ezor provides cover.

\---------------

Launch Bay, Castle of Lions

The door to the Launch Bay opens, presenting a sight that Keith did not want to see. Hovering near the exterior entrance to the Launch Bay is Sincline 1. Piloted by the one person he did not want to face in combat again.

“Acxa!”

Acxa grits her teeth and mutters under her breath. _“Keith, get out of the way!”_ She lays down a short quick burst of fire, designed to get the Castle team to seek cover.

Keith grabs Pidge and pulls her to the right side of the Hangar entrance. Krolia and the wolf take cover on the other side.

With Keith and his team under cover, she continues to fire sporadically to keep them there.

Keith immediately notices the strike pattern of her shots and calls out to Krolia. “KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN. SHE’S SHOOTING HIGH!”

Pidge screams into Keith’s ear so she can be heard. “I THOUGHT YOU SAID SHE’S A CRACK SHOT!”

“THE BEST ON EITHER SIDE, PIDGE. SHE’S DELIBERATELY SHOOTING HIGH. SHE DOESN’T WANT TO KILL US!”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW?”

“TRUST ME, IF SHE WANTED TO KILL US WE’D BE DEAD ALREADY.”

Acxa continues to fire until she receives word from Ezor that they are approaching the Hangar Bay. She fires one more long burst to make sure Keith and company stay pinned to the floor.

With speed and precision, Zethrid and Ezor race into the Hangar bay just as Acxa stops firing. Once the two Generals are inside the Bay, she resumes her fire to keep Keith pinned down.

With Acxa maintaining covering fire, Ezor races to Sincline 2 and prepares it for departure.

Zethrid deposits the still-unconscious Lotor into the Altean shuttle pod and makes sure he is firmly secured. “No double-jointed trickery this time, buddy!” She tells the pilot, “If he starts to wake up, knock him out again!”

The Altean shuttle pod is the first to leave. Acxa gives the pilot orders to proceed to the rendezvous point.

Ezor is the next to get airborne. “Acxa, I’ll cover Zethrid. Go with the shuttle pod. We’ll catch up.”

_“Roger. Ezor, remember. Covering fire only!”_

“Yeah, yeah. You do it your way, I’ll do it mine. Don’t worry, I’ll just muss up pretty boy’s flippity hair a bit. Unless he gets in my way…”

The short lull in the shooting caused by Acxa’s departure to escort the shuttle pod allows Keith, Krolia, and Pidge to emerge from their covered positions in time to see Ezor turn Sincline 2 to face them.

Pidge gets a tight grip on Keith’s arm. “Is this one going to shoot high?”

Seeing the sadistic grin on Ezor’s face and noting the angle of the fighter, Keith barks out an urgent command. “SHOOTING TO KILL! DUCK!”

They dive for cover again, but this time the proximity of Ezor’s fire sprays them with hot metallic fragments. The massive wall plating of the Hangar Bay barely provides cover from the powerful blasts of the Sincline ship.

Unlike Acxa who shot sporadically, Ezor fires a continuous fusillade until Zethrid gets Sincline 3 airborne.

“Ezor, let’s get out of here!”

Exiting the Hangar Bay with Ezor close behind, Zethrid reports their status to Acxa. With her ships clear of the Castle of Lions, Acxa reports mission success to High Priestess Haggar.

“Good. Now execute Phase 2 of your plan, then bring the Emperor to me!”

\---------------

Launch Bay, Castle of Lions

The destruction in the Launch Bay from Ezor’s fire is extensive. Pidge helps Keith to his feet, as the wolf helps Krolia do the same.

“Keith, do you know those three?”

“Yes. Lotor’s Generals. The big one carrying Lotor is Zethrid. The crazy one who just tried to kill us is Ezor. The first one was Acxa. Best marksman on either side in this war. She wasn’t shooting to kill.”

Krolia is not in a forgiving mood. “That doesn’t matter, she still shot at us! Stop defending her!” Krolia pauses for a tick as a few facts fall into place. “Wait…is this Acxa the one from Braylar IV? Please tell me you’re not int….”

“MOM!” Keith dusts himself off and walks away from Krolia to check on Pidge before his mother can corner him. “Now is _not_ the time to discuss this!”

Pidge frantically looks to Keith. “They got away with Lotor! What do we do?”

“Stay calm, Pidge. We have to stay focused.”

\---------------

Bridge of the Castle of Lions

The team does their best to recover from Zethrid’s surprise onslaught. A groggy Romelle rubs her chin, while Allura helps the battered Lance up onto his feet.

The team receives a call from Keith. “Lance, Hunk, Allura, can you still pilot your Lions?”

Holding his head, an angry yet focused Hunk replies. “Yeah, I’ll manage.”

Lance and Allura look each other in the eye and he responds for both. “We’ve got this.”

“Good. Then get to them and let’s go. If we’re gonna fight the Sincline ships, we’ll need Voltron.”

\---------------

The Launch Bay of the Black Lion, Castle of Lions

Changing quickly into his Paladin armor, Keith sprints towards the Black Lion. Seeing its Paladin approaching, Black’s eyes light up and she gives out a mighty roar.

Keith grins as he approaches Black. “Ready to have some fun, girl?”

Settling into the Pilot’s seat, a bright flash of light pops up behind him. He recognizes it for what it is.

“It’s going to be dangerous out there. Are you sure you want to come?”

The wolf settles in next to Keith. “I am part of the Paladin Pack. My pack is on the hunt. I’m going with you. Besides, I have a feeling you will need me to help you fight these crazy people.”

Keith smiles and gives him a quick rub behind the ears. “Then secure yourself. It’s going to be a rough ride.”

\---------------

Space Outside Planet Diabazaal

The Altean shuttle pod out in front where they can see it, the three Sincline ships shepherd it towards a designated set of coordinates.

With no warning, Acxa’s ship is struck by an Ion beam. Grunting from the impact, she turns and finds the culprit.

_“Keith…”_

She sees the five Lions of Voltron closing in on them as her communications monitor comes to life. Keith slows the others down as he races ahead.

“Acxa I know that’s you. Why are you doing this?”

Against her better judgement, she responds to the hail. _“Keith it’s complicated. Do yourself a favor, turn your Lions around and leave. Please.”_

“You know I can’t do that.”

She sighs heavily. _“I know. But I had to try…. I’m sorry, Keith.”_

She breaks communication with Keith and issues instructions to Zethrid and Ezor. “Take them out.”

Before the Sincline ships can respond, Keith splits their formation and races past them, clearly trying to intercept the shuttle pod. Before he can reach it, his intercom crackles with the sounds of combat.

His team is engaged with the Sincline ships, and they are clearly outmatched.

With no hesitation, he turns Black around and joins the fray.

The Red Lion is the fastest and nimblest of the Voltron Lions, but it is no match for the Sincline ships. Lance can’t get a bead on any of them, and he is barely able to dodge their shots.

Hunk takes a grazing hit from Sincline 3, saved only by the heavy armor of Yellow and the fact that it was not a direct hit.

Red gears up for a shot on Sincline 2, only to take a glancing shot from Sincline 1 that knocks him spinning away.

Pidge counters a shot from Sincline 3, and lines up for a shot on Sincline 2. She looks to her right and sees Acxa swooping towards her in Sincline 1, lining up a kill shot. Pidge sees the shot incoming and is convinced she’s about to buy the farm.

At the last possible tick, the shot is deflected by an Ion beam from one of the Lions. Turning, Pidge sees the Black Lion race across in front of her. Using a trick he first employed in the Ulippa system, Keith deflects the Ion beam from Acxa’s ship using one of his own.

Acxa is not happy as her temper begins to flare. _“Dammit, he did it again!”_ She switches on her link to Zethrid and Ezor. _“Regroup. We’ll come at them together.”_

Keith calls for his team to do the same.

“Guys, we’re no match for them in our Lions. FORM VOLTRON!”

\---------------

Voltron moves into position and confronts the three Sincline Ships.

Team Voltron vs Team Sincline Round 1 is about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and the next one, are the two that I sat down and sketched out prior to starting Return of the Prince. The whole purpose for writing The Galra Chronicles was to show what VLD could have been if Keith had taken the reins of Voltron as the Black Paladin at the beginning of Season 3 and stayed in that position. To do that, I needed to overcome a few challenges, the biggest ones being in The Colony and The Black Paladin chapters. The big challenge here is how to move the story along in the absence of Kuron (Shiro). I came up with a plan that I stuck to, and in the spirit of full disclosure I've been very nervous since late Feburary 2020 about how it was going to turn out. 
> 
> I'd be lying if I said I'm not nervous any more as I get closer to the end of this work. I am. I'm an author (ok a fanfic author, but hey...). We always worry about how our readers are going to receive our work. But at this point I'm much more confident about how this story is going to turn out. Ultimately you, the reader, are the final judge and jury as to the quality of this story.
> 
> I love and care for all of the characters in this series, and in this chapter I've highlighted three of my favorite female characters. Acxa, Allura, and Romelle. These are three strong women, both physically (they each beat the crap out of a larger male in this chapter) and morally as well. I had a lot of fun writing them in this chapter.
> 
> Speaking of Romelle...Throughout this work I've attempted to give the characters more depth either through world building or by diving into their background. Romelle is a character that appears in canon VLD and she really was not developed all that well. To the extent that I could dive a little deeper into her background in this chapter, with so many other things happening, I gave it my best shot. More about Romelle will be included in the next chapter.
> 
> Thank you very much for powering through the story so far. If you are so moved, please let me know what you think, one way or another. Your comments mean a great deal to me. Until next time, please stay safe.


	16. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins continue their running battle with Team Sincline. Lotor confronts the nightmare from his past, as Keith and Acxa both make choices that set them on new paths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my adaptation of the episode Black Paladins. There is major canon divergence in this chapter. Included in this chapter is a homage to one of my favorite Indiana Jones lines from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

**Team Sincline vs Team Voltron Round 1**

Space Outside Planet Diabazaal

The battle between Voltron and Lotor’s Generals rages around the ruins of Diabazaal.

Acxa orders the smaller but faster Sincline ships to spread out and buzz around Voltron like a swarm of mosquitos, making quick strikes and scooting away. Keith continues to move Voltron, dodging strikes as best he can while analyzing Acxa’s attack strategy.

All the while keeping an eye on the shuttle taking the still unconscious Lotor to parts unknown. Repeated attempts by Voltron to pursue the shuttle are repulsed by the Sincline ships. Keith suspects it is heading to a specific rendezvous point. Who or what they are meeting, or for what purpose, he has no idea.

To take away the Sincline ships speed advantage, Keith skillfully manages to back them up against Diabazaal itself. But Acxa has another trick up her sleeve.

The three Sincline ships stop and fire their main weapons, not at Voltron, but at a point in space in front of their position. The beams converge, and a singular beam, three times as powerful as the individual source beams shoots forth. Keith forms the shield, but the force of the beam pins Voltron against a large chunk of the destroyed Diabazaal.

Coran, Krolia, and Romelle monitor the situation from the Castle of Lions where they observe the plight of the Voltron Lions.

This is the first time Krolia has seen Keith in battle as the Black Paladin. She is pleased to see him calmly adjust to the fluid combat situation, but she is very concerned. The opponents the Paladins are up against are battle-hardened combat veterans.

Romelle is both terrified and excited, seeing the legendary Voltron in action for the first time. “Isn’t this thrilling, Krolia?”

Krolia doesn’t take her eyes off the action. “Thrilling isn’t the word I would use to describe it.”

Thrilling isn’t how Coran would describe it either. Desperate is how he would describe their situation, and he’s not sitting back waiting for them to be killed.

“I’m headed your way, Keith!”

“Coran, NO! The Castle of Lions barely survived the first time we fought Acxa in one of those ships. You’ll only…Ooof!” Kneeling on one knee on the planetary chunk, the Paladins strain against the force of the combined beam from the Sincline ships.

Allura adds her own warning to Coran on top of Keith’s.

“Keith is right, Coran, the ship’s defenses will never hold!”

Pidge frantically does her best to maintain the shield against the intensity of the blast. “We can’t take this much longer.”

“You guys have any ideas?”

“Just one, Lance. CORAN! Fire just below our position.”

“What?”

While Coran doesn’t understand why Keith wants him to fire on their position, Krolia shows a slight smile and nods her understanding. She mutters to herself, “Good thinking, son.”

“Destroy the rock we’re pinned against. NOW!”

Taking quick aim, Coran slams his fist down on the weapons console, triggering a massive Ion beam. It strikes the rock dead center, vaporizing it. Keeping the shield up, Keith allows the force of the beam to push Voltron through the hole Coran blasted in the rock. Once through it, he uses the debris from the shattered rock as cover and rolls away from the combined beam.

“Lance, Pidge, I need you to get us some cover.”

The two Paladins respond in unison. “ON IT!”

The Red and Green Lions form the arms of Voltron. They also pack several the weapons used by the giant robot. They each break out their Lion’s Ion weapons and as Keith maneuvers Voltron through the debris field around Diabazaal, they fire at the asteroids, shattering them.

Seeing a thick meteor field springing up in front of them, Acxa can only smile. _“Nice try, Keith. Ducking into a debris field worked around Braylar VI. But I’m in a better ship this time, big boy.”_

Spinning and dodging her way through the debris, she calls orders to Zethrid and Ezor. _“He’s trying to lose us. Keep your scanners locked onto him and pick your way through. Prepare the grappling lines.”_

“What do you have in mind, Acxa?”

_“We need to get to the rendezvous point. We’re going to play a little game. I have a surprise in store for the Black Paladin.”_

Emerging from the debris field, and believing he’s lost the Sincline ships for the moment, Keith scans space looking for the Altean shuttle pod.

“Who’s got eyes on Lotor?”

The problem is, he didn’t lose the Sincline ships. Voltron is jarred when a grappling line from Acxa latches onto the right ankle of Voltron. Before he can act against it, Sincline 2 and 3 zip past Voltron and launch their own grappling lines, both attaching to the chest.

_“Ezor, Zethrid, follow me. This way!”_

Acxa leads the Sincline ships towards a giant planetary fragment. Gaining speed and pulling Voltron along before Keith can get a handle on what is happening and respond, the Sincline ships peel away in three different directions. The grappling lines act like the band on a slingshot, and at just the right moment the Generals snap the bands and release their payload.

A payload called Voltron.

Voltron slams into the giant fragment like a meteor slamming into a planet. The force of the impact stuns the Paladins, immobilizing them for thirty ticks.

Slowly regaining his wits, Lance asks the million-dollar question. “What just happened?”

As the Paladins struggle to recover from the shock of the impact, the Sincline ships zip away at top speed towards their rendezvous point.

Staring out into the distance at their receding opponents, a point of light begins to glow and become larger.

“Is that…?”

Lance completes the question for Allura. “A wormhole?”

**Purple Wormhole**

Space Outside Planet Diabazaal

Still groggy, Keith knows there is only one reason for a wormhole to open. “They’re trying to escape.” But escape to where?

Allura hisses a reply, making no effort to disguise the venom in her voice. “Haggar. It has to be Haggar. She must have gained the ability. But how?”

“We can’t worry about that. We must make sure we get Lotor back and try to set things right. Before our actions back at the Castle wind up restarting the war with what’s left of the Galra Empire.”

While Allura winces from Keith’s rebuke, Hunk tries to come to her defense.

“But Lotor is not who we thought he was, Keith. He’s not a nice person.”

“He’s the Emperor of the Galra Empire, Hunk. There is still a lot we don’t know and he’s the one who can fill in the blanks. We all know that terrible things happened to the Alteans on the second Colony. But we can’t rush to judgement again. That’s how we got into the mess we’re in.”

“Oh yeah? So, what do you propose we do about it?”

As much as Keith wants to smack Lance across the mouth for the snarky tone of his comment, he maintains his composure. “Get him back and put the pieces together as best we can Lance. If that’s even possible. Now, let’s get up and get after them!”

The Paladins bring Voltron to its feet. Facing the wormhole, they take off from the planetary fragment in hot pursuit of the Sincline ships and the shuttle pod.

Checking a warning sensor on his console, Keith detects an issue with the Black Lion. “Guys, one of my thrusters is down. Can you compensate?”

Pidge gets to work analyzing options. “Those beams torched our power core. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Hunk, the chief engineer of the Paladins, gives Keith some bad news. “We’ve got maybe 30 seconds of over-clocked burn time.”

That’s more than enough time for Keith. “HIT IT!”

The afterburners kick in and Voltron streaks through the planetary debris towards the wormhole. Keith keeps an eye on their targets up ahead as Hunk counts down the thrust time remaining.

“We’re halfway through our burn.”

He sees the Altean shuttle pod enter the wormhole…

“…twenty-five percent…”

…followed shortly afterwards by Sincline 1….

“…fifteen percent…”

…then Sincline 2 and 3…

“…eight percent! Keith we’re not going to make it! We’re too heavy!”

With the shuttle and the Sincline ships through the wormhole, it begins to close.

Keith grits his teeth and makes a snap judgement call.

“Disband.”

The team gives a collective gasp of surprise. “What?”

“The energy from disconnecting might create enough thrust to propel me through the wormhole.”

Allura desperately tries to change his mind by warning him of the consequences. “You’ll be the only one on the other side. Without knowing where you are I can’t bring you…”

“DO IT!”

Without hesitation, the Paladins disengage the locks that hold the Lions together and disband Voltron. As Keith suspected, the force of the disbanding gives the Black Lion additional forward speed.

The question is, will it be enough to get through the wormhole before it closes.

Keith grits his teeth and pours all the power in the Black Lion into the engines, hoping against hope he can make it to the wormhole in time.

Somehow, he does.

The Paladins watch with apprehension as a bright flash of light comes from the wormhole before it closes. As the light abates, there is no sign of the Black Lion.

“Think he made it, Allura?”

“I hope so, Pidge.”

“Hey Allura…what happens if the wormhole closes on him before he can get out?”

“You don’t want to know, Hunk.”

**Keith vs Acxa…Again**

Thizonian System

Ezor looks behind them and sees the wormhole closing. She is about to turn away when she spots a glint of starlight off a shiny object.

“Humph…space debris.”

Giving it no further thought, she turns her attention forward towards their impending rendezvous with Haggar’s battleship.

\---------------

Catching his breath and looking ahead for the three Sincline ships, Keith’s eyes quickly shift to the sight that looms in front of him. A massive Galra battle fleet.

Keith’s surprise lasts only for a moment before the entire fleet opens fire on him.

“All right, gotta play this smart.”

Keith skillfully weaves his way between the Galra ships, doing so in a way that several of them are hit by friendly fire. Seeing this, Lieutenant Hepta orders a temporary cease fire until they can get a clear shot at the Black Lion.

Looking behind them to see what is causing the disturbance, Ezor spots the Black Lion. “Wow, I can’t believe he made it. Talk about persistent.”

Neither can Zethrid, and she’s spoiling for a fight. “Talk about annoying. I’ll take him out.”

Irritated, Acxa stands them down. _“No. You two escort the package back to Honerva. I’ll take care of this one.”_

She spins Sincline 1 around to confront Keith as Sincline 2 and 3 continue to Haggar’s battleship.

Acxa closes in on Keith, muttering to herself after making sure her communication channels are switched off.

 _“You’re really going to force me to fight you, aren’t you Keith?”_ Switching on her weapons systems, she lets loose a heavy sigh. “ _I don’t want to do this.”_

Keith picks up the incoming Sincline ship and knows by its configuration who he is up against. The one person he doesn’t want to fight. “Acxa. Why does it have to be Acxa?”

Keith takes immediate evasive action, weaving in and out of the Galra fleet, pursued closely by Acxa. He takes incoming fire from her, and from the fleet which has resumed its broadsides against him. Keith decides to use that fire from her own fleet against Acxa, who now finds herself avoiding Ion cannon blasts while trying to get a bead on the elusive Black Paladin.

Keith ducks under a Galra cruiser and as he emerges from the other side he executes a tight 360-degree vertical loop. Following Keith under the cruiser, Acxa loses sight of him and frantically looks to reestablish visual contact.

Keith helps her reestablish not only visual contact, but physical as well. Using as much force as he can muster, he slams the Black Lion down on top of Sincline 1. Before Acxa can respond he fires an Ion blast from point-blank range into the ship just behind the cockpit.

Sincline 1 absorbs the blow with minimal damage, but Acxa is tossed around violently in the cockpit as her ship spins wildly. Struggling to gain control of her ship, her temper gets the better of her. _“Dammit Keith, you’re going to pay for that!”_

As Sincline 1 careens away, Keith peels off towards Haggar’s flagship.

\---------------

Hangar Bay, Haggar’s Battleship

The Altean shuttle pod, Sincline 2, and Sincline 3 rest on the floor of the Hangar Bay as Zethrid and Ezor wait to collect their package. Led to them by the Galra pilot, a humbled Lotor greets his former Generals.

“Zethrid. Ezor.”

Before the proceedings can go much further, an explosion rocks the flagship as the exterior wall of the Hangar Bay is breached by an Ion blast from the Black Lion. Keith performs a quick scan through the breach and finds Lotor, Zethrid, and Ezor.

His senses tingling, the Dire Wolf looks behind them and tells Keith, “She’s back.” A tick later the targeting alarm system in Black flashes red and Keith takes immediate evasive action, banking hard to his left.

Emerging from the midst of the Galra fleet is a VERY angry Acxa. At first she doesn’t even bother to take aim; she just starts spraying fire in his general direction as a way of letting him know just how angry she is.

\---------------

Ezor slams her fist onto the control panel on the bulkhead to activate the emergency blast doors, sealing the atmospheric breach in the Hangar Bay. Recovering from the force of explosive decompression, Zethrid grabs Lotor’s wrist restraints and pulls him up.

She leads him away to a holding cell, with Ezor close behind, there to await the summons from the High Priestess.

\---------------

Within the Fire of Purification Fleet Formation, Thizonian System

Keith continues to battle Acxa, all the while wrestling with the problem of how to retrieve Lotor. “Think…how are we going to get in there?” He looks to the Dire Wolf. “Can you retrieve him and bring him back?”

“I can teleport in and get him. But to return you either need to be stationary or on a consistent flight path. As long as you are avoiding the female who is trying to kill you, I cannot safely return with him.”

Several near misses fly past Black, reminding Keith he has an angry Corillian half-breed chasing him. As he executes a tight roll maneuver to keep her from gaining weapons lock, he speaks out loud to no one in particular. “One of these quintants I’m going to meet her, and we won’t be trying to kill one another!”

“Yes, pack leader, but I’m afraid this is not that quintant.”

Black is violently rocked by a near miss.

“You think?!”

\---------------

Keith’s maneuvers lead him to the outer edge of the fleet formation. “Great. I’m running out of ships to hide behind and she’s not letting up.” Keith weaves his way between two tightly grouped cruisers, then puts Black full speed ahead, trying to put distance between him and Acxa before she clears the cruisers herself.

The gambit almost works. Clearing the two cruisers, Acxa sees the Black Lion far ahead, looping around the formation. _“Trying to come at us from a different direction? Nice try, but I don’t think that’s going to work.”_

She plots an intercept course and throws Sincline 1 into full speed. She holds her fire, hoping to lull Keith into a false sense of security while taking careful aim. Rapidly gaining ground, she acquires target lock and fires a short burst.

Acxa lands a blow onto the right wing of the Black Lion. Black spins wildly as Keith struggles to stabilize her. Before he can come close to regaining control, the Black Lion is struck by Ion cannon blasts from two of the cruisers that broke formation to follow Acxa and assist her.

The shock of the blasts toss Keith forward and out of the pilots chair. His helmet flies off from the force of the whiplash. He slams head-first into the electrical panels at the front of the cockpit, one of which sparks as he hits it. He rolls away with a long 6-inch burn and gash on his cheek. Bleeding, he crawls back into the pilots seat with the help of the Dire Wolf.

The Black Lion slows its spin and floats helplessly in space, not moving. As Acxa closes in and reacquires target lock on the Lion, the Commander of one of the cruisers opens a channel.

“Shall we finish it off for you, General?”

Acxa is not in the mood to deal with them. _“Commander, I did not request assistance, nor do I need your assistance. Return to the fleet. Now. I will handle this.”_

The Commander salutes while glowering into the monitor. “Vrepit sa!”

As the Cruisers turn and return to the fleet, Acxa shifts her attention back to the lifeless Black Lion. She has two options open to her.

Blast the Black Lion and simply end the battle here and now. Or leave Keith to his own devices and return to the fleet, which is what he did when the situation was reversed at Braylar V. He turned around and left her.

Except…he came back and helped her in the end. He saved her life. And she cannot forget that.

Acxa shuts down her weapons systems. She doesn’t want to kill him. Quite the opposite. Concerned for his physical well-being, she opens a channel to the Black Lion. To her surprise, he responds to her hail. She almost wishes he hadn’t.

The sight of the battered and bloodied Paladin that greets her is shocking. She is horrified at his condition. All she wanted to do was chase him away from the fleet, but in the heat of battle she let her temper get the best of her.

The remorse over what she’s done is on full display in the tone of her voice. _“Keith, why couldn’t you just stay away.”_

Doing his best to maintain consciousness, Keith gives her a simple response. “I told you…I couldn’t do that.”

Acxa tries her best to keep the emotion she is feeling out of her voice and does a poor job of it. _“You put me in a bad position, Keith. You’re forcing me to do the one thing I don’t want to do. I don’t want to kill you.”_

“Then don’t.” He is gasping for breath now. “You remember that offer I made to you…on the message I slipped into your bag on Braylar IV?”

_“Yes. I have it memorized.”_

“It’s…the offer…is still open.” Keith slumps back into his chair, unconscious.

_“Keith…KEITH!”_

On her monitor, Acxa spies the Dire Wolf checking on him. Remembering her encounters with the Dire Wolves on Braylar IV, she is only partially surprised to see one on Keith’s ship. Taking a chance, she reaches out to it.

 _“Wolf…”_ The Dire Wolf pulls away from Keith and stares into the monitor. Seeing this as a promising sign, Acxa continues to talk to it. “ _I know you can understand me. I don’t want to hurt him.”_

The Dire Wolf continues to stare into the monitor and momentarily bares its fangs in reply. Acxa then receives a huge surprise when she hears it respond to her in her mind. “Any more than you already have, Corillian?”

Acxa no longer tries to disguise her emotional state. _“I…I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen!”_

The Dire Wolf stares at her for a tick, then replies. “I almost believe you.”

_“Please… He’s bleeding badly…Will he be ok?.”_

“No. My leader is badly injured, and you are responsible for his state!”

_“No…I…”_

The Dire Wolf growls a warning. “I know who you are, Corillian. I was told about you by Ashira, my mother. I will not allow you to hurt him any further. Leave now, or I will come over there and end you. You know I can do it.”

_“I do know that. I don’t want to hurt him any further. Please, I want to help him. I want to do the right thing!”_

\---------------

Fifteen doboshes later, as Acxa prepares to rejoin the fleet, she receives a general broadcast message. “All ships, return to formation, dock immediately and prepare for hyper-jump.”

Acxa turns Sincline 1 away and makes for Haggar’s battleship to rejoin Zethrid and Ezor. Her ‘official’ story to them will be that she damaged the Black Lion, but that it managed to slip away as the call was made to return to the fleet.

**Virus**

Castle of Lions, near Planet Diabazaal

“Ok, all the Lions are in their hangars and their power cores appear to be recharging.”

Hunk follow’s Pidge’s report with his engineering report on the status of the Lions. “Structurally speaking, the Lions are at about sixty percent. Whatever those Sincline ships hit them with, really did some damage.”

Allura is deep in concentration, doing her best to identify the location where Haggar’s wormhole would have deposited Keith.

“Any luck, Allura?”

“No, I’m afraid not, Lance. I fear that the wormhole may have deposited them beyond my abilities reach.”

Coran moves to his console. “I’ll try to contact some coalition forces to provide assistance.”

Before he can open a communication channel, power throughout the Castle begins to flicker.

“Whoa.”

Standing at the teleduv terminal, Allura notices strange behavior coming from the teleduv terminal control system. “Coran, what’s happening?”

Coran pulls up the Castle diagnostic system and discovers the problem. “It appears the Castle’s systems are shutting down one by one.”

Virus warnings spread from system to system as the software infection spreads with increasing speed.

“It looks as though someone hacked the ship and let loose a killer protocol of some sort.”

Someone in fact did hack into the ships systems. When Sendak installed the spy software that Haggar used to keep track of activities on the Castle of Lions, he also included a virus that when activated was intended to cripple the Castle. Just before Acxa entered the wormhole after taking Lotor, and without Acxa’s knowledge, Haggar remotely activated the virus.

Pidge immediately pulls up her console and begins working on countermeasures. “Have you tried an override?”

Hunk stands just off Pidge’s right shoulder, looking over it. “Or maybe counteracting it with a “live” protocol? Is that a thing?”

Coran can’t get ahead of the infection. “Pidge, the virus is moving too fast.”

“Ok, I’m in the system. Subroutines eight through 19 have me completely locked out. But if I can skip ahead to…” Pidge types faster than the software can respond. Slowed by the virus, the system responds, but not fast enough for the adrenalin-high Pidge. “Come on, come on, come on.”

Coran provides a chilling rundown of the cascading system failures. “Spectra generator down. Stabilizers are down. Main turbine also down. Crystal matrix offline!” The Balmeran crystal crackles with energy as it powers down and its steady blue glow goes dark.

“Particle barrier generator down! Teleduv terminal control system…” The Teleduv terminals power down and retract into the floor of the Bridge. “…is down. Literally.”

Pidge sweats from the mental exertion and gymnastics required to get ahead of the virus. “There! I’ve got it isolated. Now I just have to lock it down with a multi-layered tri-tetragonal quarantine.” Pidge furiously types commands into the console as she nears the completion of her task.

“Almost…HA! Yes!”. The virus alarms cease as the system diagnostics screens show the virus isolated behind a firewall.

Everyone on the Bridge slumps down in relief. Coran turns back to an exhausted Green Paladin. “Well done, Pidge.”

The reprieve is short-lived. The alarms begin to blare once again as the virus breaks containment.

“What? How?” Gawking at her screen in complete surprise, she quickly sees what is going on. “The virus has countermeasures that specifically targeted my quarantine! It’s like…it knew what I was going to do.”

Pidge can only stand by and watch helplessly as her screen vanishes under the destructive hammering of the virus. In a moment, all remaining Bridge systems shut down.

Coran turns to the team and gives a chilling warning. “If this shuts down the Teleduv’s mass regulator, the ship, along with everything in the neighboring subsystem, would be destroyed by the explosion.”

Pidge doesn’t wait around and feel sorry for herself. She bolts out of her chair and sprints to the Bridge exit.

“Uh, where are _you_ going?”

Pidge gives Hunk a breathless reply. “No time!”

**Subterfuge**

Observation Deck, Haggar’s Battleship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Acxa, Ezor, and Zethrid bring the bound Lotor before Haggar. The High Priestess looks out the forward observation glass on her ship, her back to them.

Standing on either side of Lotor, Zethrid and Acxa give him a slight nudge forward, indicating he is to approach Haggar. He walks toward the High Priestess slowly and apprehensively, while at the same time scanning his surroundings.

“Emperor Lotor.”

Haggar removes the hood from her head and turns to face him.

“My son.”

The impact of the statement on the three Generals is electrifying, as they collectively gasp and respond to Haggar’s words with expressions of shock and horror. Acxa in particular is stunned. She gazes at the back of her mentor with a look of utter disbelief.

Lotor glares harshly at the High Priestess, unmoved by her words. He says nothing. He doesn’t have to. His expression says it all.

Haggar speaks to her son with a tinge of sadness in her voice. “The anger you feel toward me is to be expected.” She looks to the ground for a few ticks.

Looking up she continues her soliloquy “But understand that the events that transformed me into the witch Haggar also shrouded any glimmer of maternal instinct I may have had for my one and only child.”

“However, you’ve continued the work I started all that time ago and have indeed seen it through to heights I could have only imagined.”

Lotor clenches his fists tightly as he struggles to hold his tongue.

“Your never-ending pursuit of knowledge is truly…”

He can hold his tongue no longer.

“Enough!” He speaks slowly and deliberately, the hate he feels for Haggar clearly etched on his face and reflected in the tone of his voice. “My mother ceased to exist when Honerva drew her last breath. Do not believe for a moment that I would ever accept _you_ as kin.”

“You are an abomination. A twisted perversion of what was once so pure and beautiful.”

“The end is near, witch. I know you can sense it. If you beg for your life now, maybe I will take pity on you when the time comes.”

Haggar stares at Lotor for a full dobosh. Without breaking eye contact, she tells Acxa, “Take him away.”

Acxa steps forward and gently places her left hand on his left arm. Lotor glances back over his left shoulder, and the two share a knowing glance.

Completely disgusted with Haggar, Acxa decides she’d rather put up with Lotor than continue to serve under the witch. It is time to end the subterfuge she and Lotor have been running for some time.

The soft expression of disbelief on Acxa’s face is replaced by her battle game face. She tightens her grip on Lotor’s arm as she reaches for her blaster pistol with her right hand. In one fluid motion she pulls Lotor hard to her left and out of her line of fire while pointing her pistol at Haggar and firing without hesitation.

Haggar vanishes from her quarters in an instant.

\---------------

Haggar’s Sanctuary, Haggar’s Battleship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Teleporting out of the Observation Deck a tick before being struck by Acxa’s blaster fire, Haggar materializes in her sanctuary. Leaning against a bulkhead with one hand, she breathlessly contemplates her next move.

\---------------

Observation Deck, Haggar’s Battleship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Ezor steps back in terror towards an equally frightened and surprised Zethrid. “Did you just kill her?”

Zethrid crouches defensively, not sure what to expect next. “Are you working with Lotor?”

Acxa says nothing. She works quickly and frees Lotor from his shackles.

Rubbing his wrists, Lotor addresses Ezor and Zethrid while Acxa looks on somewhat dispassionately.

“I can explain everything, but I assure you she is not dead. If you’re with me we need to get to the Sincline ships and leave now.”

Still in a defensive position and ready for a fight, Ezor is not quite sure how to respond. “Um…sure?”

Zethrid is equally unsure. “We’re good.”

With those words, Team Sincline regains its leader.

“Right then. We’re headed for the Castle of Lion’s last known location.”

Acxa looks up at her leader. _“Sir, the wormhole deposited us on the far side of the Thizonian system. We’ll need to make multiple hyperspace jumps and even then, it will take some time.”_

“Then what are we waiting for?”

**Countermeasures**

Castle of Lions

Pidge and Coran, now aided by Krolia, continue their frantic search for a solution to the virus problem.

“Pidge, what have you discovered?”

“The protocol’s countermeasure, Krolia. I recognized it.”

“Recognized it? How?”

“From the code I cleared out of the Castle of Lions system after we got the Castle back from Sendak. I thought I’d gotten all of it. But what I didn’t check for was a virus that was disguising itself as an innocuous ships communications system.”

Allura is shocked. “Wait, are you saying Sendak is responsible for this?”

“Yes. And to make matters worse…it turns out it was spy software. Ever since we got the Castle back from Sendak, it’s possible that everything happening on the Bridge and in the Hangar was observed.”

Suddenly several things start to make sense to Krolia. “That would explain how Acxa was able to time her attack just as we were the most distracted dealing with Lotor. It was too well coordinated and too precisely timed to be sheer dumb luck. She knew what was going on here the whole time.”

The guilt wracks Pidge and she takes it out on the person she feels is responsible. “This is all my fault. I should have caught this.”

“Pidge, snap out of it.” Krolia places her hand on Pidge’s shoulder and gives it a squeeze to get her attention. “Let’s talk about this later. Right now, the priority is keeping the Teleduv stable.”

\---------------

Teleduv Chamber, Castle of Lions

“The teleduv, it’s reaching critical mass!”

Allura turns to Pidge who is frantically keying away on a terminal.

“Pidge!”

“I know, I know…”

The Teleduv Chamber begins to glow brighter than usual. It’s normal light blue sheen slowly begins to turn an ominous shade of red.

Apprehensive and doing his best to not let his fear show, Lance looks on. “This thing’s about to blow any second.”

Keeping her nose buried in the screen and typing furiously Pidge still manages to shout out a reply. “Not helpful, Lance!”

Barely staying ahead of the virus, Pidge makes a series of last-minute corrections then swiftly punches the button to execute the anti-virus routines she’s created.

The Teleduv continues to glow a bright red and hums loudly. Then, slowly and imperceptibly at first, the humming slows, and the brightness begins to fade. The color of the Teleduv shifts from angry red, to its normal shade of light blue.

Pidge draws a deep breath and exhales slowly, knowing she has successfully fought off the virus in the Teleduv.

Shoulders slumped, eyes closed, a distraught Pidge hovers over her terminal.

Hunk stares at the Teleduv, and then back at Pidge. “Uh, Pidge…how did you do that?”

“After we got the Castle back from Sendak, when I was removing the software he loaded, I made a copy of its programming. I created a virus that could terminate all its command prompts, in case something like this ever happened.”

“I never thought I’d have to use it. And if I’d done what I should have done back then…I wouldn’t have had to.”

**Space Mom**

Teleduv Chamber, Castle of Lions

Krolia walks up to Pidge and gently places her arm around her shoulder. “Pidge, Keith tells me you’re the smartest of a group of very smart people. Even smart people make mistakes. What matters is how you recover and make things right.”

Pidge looks up gratefully at Krolia. “I appreciate that, but…I almost got everyone killed.”

“No, _you_ didn’t. _You_ saved everyone. Pidge, we are our own worst critics. Could you have found that virus before it was activated? Maybe. But I think you’re being unfairly harsh on yourself. Seven people are alive because you were smart enough and fast enough to stop that virus. And now you’ve learned the tricks of whoever planted it. Think of how much smarter you are now.”

Eyes filling, Pidge allows Krolia to give her a hug. “Thanks.”

Breaking her embrace with Pidge, Krolia turns to the Alteans.

“Princess, Coran, Romelle…can we talk for a moment. In private?”

\---------------

Krolia pulls the group aside from the Paladins.

“Between what just happened with Lotor, and the virus, nerves are on edge. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and calm down. We need to keep our emotions under control.”

Allura looks harshly at Krolia. “Under control in what way? What exactly are you saying?”

The no-nonsense Krolia looks Allura directly in the eye and does not mince words. “Ok, here’s the blunt and candid truth. We need to stop making wild accusations without any proof, and we need to stop with the emotional outbursts. Keith and I had a plan to deal with Lotor. That plan involved staying calm, confronting him with the facts, and convincing him to fill in the details he held back. Romelle, your circumstantial accusations, along with Allura bouncing him across the floor of the Bridge killed that plan.”

“What?” Romelle winces under the rebuke.

“How dare you! You know…”

“What I know, Princess, is that your actions re-ignited the war between the Coalition and what’s left of the Galra Empire. It’s never a good idea to physically assault the duly chosen leader of a sovereign state. As the sovereign leader of the Altean people, you should understand that actions have consequences!”

As Allura steams, Coran reluctantly speaks up. “I hate to say it, Princess, but Krolia is right. Good diplomacy requires patience and an open mind, even when our hearts are telling us the people we are dealing with don’t deserve it. If one goes into a meeting expecting a fight, a fight is exactly what they will get.”

“When we confronted Lotor after you came back from the Quintessence field, we wanted to fight him. And look at what happened.”

Krolia softens the tone in her voice. “I’m sorry to speak harshly to you, Princess, but I needed to get your attention. My son, whom I haven’t seen in decaphoebs, is lost in space somewhere. I must stay calm and trust he will either find his way back here, or we’ll find him. Otherwise my emotions take control and I become more of a hindrance than a help. We all need you to stay calm and help lead us out of this predicament we find ourselves in.”

Romelle listens to the conversation in complete silence, arms crossed. Her cheeks flush as she silently absorbs the scolding from Krolia.

“Now, I suggest we get back with the others. We have a lot of things to sort out.”

\---------------

“So, what do we do now?” A hopeful Pidge looks to Allura and Krolia for answers.

Knowing that Allura is still coming to grips with the many things that happened in the last several vargas, Krolia steps up and takes charge. “We get this ship back up and running.”

Krolia turns to Lance. “The Red Paladin is the right arm of Voltron. Keith’s not here, so you’re the leader of the Paladins until he returns. We need to get the Lions repaired and ready to fight.”

“I agree, but Hunk’s damage assessment is brutal. The Lions need a lot of work.”

“Then I suggest we get started. Romelle…”, she turns to the young Altean then looks at Hunk, “… is handy with a wrench. She can give you all a hand with repairs.”

Romelle snaps out of her funk and smiles for the first time since arriving at the Castle. “Yes, please Hunk? I learn quickly and I can fix anything!”

“I’m not about to turn down help. We need all the help we can get.”

The situation with the Lions addressed, Krolia turns her attention to the Castle of Lions. “Coran, what’s it going to take to get the Castle back up and running?”

“The first thing we need to do is figure out how to restore power to the engines and main turbine. Once we do that, the other systems will fall into place. But the Princess and I can’t do it alone. We’ll need help.”

Lance speaks up. “Getting the Castle restarted is the highest priority. I can check out the Lions with Romelle and get any needed repairs started. Hunk and Pidge need to help Allura and Coran.”

Krolia looks to Allura, who nods her agreement. “It’s settled then.”

“Let’s get to work.”

**Honor**

Fire of Purification Flagship

Lieutenant Hepta puts the image from his scanners on the main screen. “Commander Sendak, I’m detecting the three Sincline ships moving away from the fleet at top speed.”

On cue, the main screen flickers as the image of Haggar appears. “Commander Sendak. The Sincline ships are escaping, and Lotor is with them. Pursue and capture them. I prefer Lotor be caught alive. Do what you will to the others. I need the ships captured intact and undamaged.”

“Vrepit Sa!”

Sendak opens a channel to the fleet. “All ships, open fire on the Sincline ships! Do not let them escape. Battle Groups Rall and Blough, take up flanking positions. Main fleet, direct pursuit!”

\---------------

Sincline Ships

Just before the Sincline ships can make their first of a series of hyperspace jumps, the incoming fire from the Fire of Purification fleet begins to rake past them. Making a quick visual assessment, Lotor calls out instructions to his team.

“They’re trying to surround us!”

“Sir, should we jump to hyperspace now?”

“No, Ezor. We’re going to bloody their noses first and make them think twice about coming after us. Now, listen carefully…”

\---------------

Ezor and Zethrid peel off to attack the battle group closing on their left flank, while Lotor does the same on the right flank. Acxa barrels straight ahead, directly for Sendak’s flagship. It’s an attack path Lotor originally intended to take, but Acxa convinced him to allow her to attack in this direction.

She has one final message she wishes to leave for Sendak and Hepta.

Seeing the lone Sincline ship attacking them, Sendak orders Hepta to open a channel.

“I don’t know which one of you half-breeds is attacking but know this. It will be the last action you ever take.”

Acxa’s image appears on the screen, smirking in response to Sendak’s taunt _. “Are you talking to yourself in the mirror again, Sendak? You always were so impressed with yourself. Now I understand where Hepta gets his bad manners.”_

Sendak smirks in return and turns to Hepta. “Lieutenant, are you going to let her speak to you that way?”

Hepta leers in return. “It doesn’t matter, sir.” He addresses Acxa. “You’ve made your choice half breed, and now you’re going to pay for your earlier actions.”

Acxa ponders the taunt for a tick before she realizes that part of what Hepta just said is true. _“You’re right, Hepta. I have made my choice. And he is a far better and more honorable man than you will ever be.”_

Acxa switches off her communication link and commences her attack run.

Spinning and weaving Sincline 1 to avoid the mass of incoming fire, Acxa targets the command and control structure of the ship. Acquiring target lock, she unleashes the full fury of her ship’s weapons on Sendak’s flagship. The beams strike home with devastating results.

The Bridge of Sendak’s flagship is shattered. Debris and sparks fly as explosions rip through it. Sendak and Hepta are tossed about like rag dolls, and both men are seriously wounded.

Knowing she’s crippled the flagship, Acxa turns her attention to the three cruisers surrounding it. Attacking all three in rapid succession, she leaves them as flaming hulks.

Lotor’s image appears on her screen, smiling at her. “Acxa, if you are done playing, meet us at these coordinates so that we can begin our jumps.”

_“Yes sir. On my way.”_

\---------------

Fire of Purification Flagship

Following the attack by the three Sincline ships, one quarter of the Fire of Purification fleet lies in tatters. Struggling to his feet, the injured Sendak takes stock of the damage. After reviewing the damage reports, and after several unsuccessful attempts to contact the High Priestess, Haggar’s image appears on the main view screen.

“My apologies, High Priestess. Those ships were more powerful than I realized. It won’t happen again. I will transfer my command to another ship and pursue them.”

“No. I have another mission for you. One that requires time and patience. Do not worry, Commander. You will have your revenge.”

**The Three Alteans**

Castle of Lions

Allura is still smarting from the scolding she received from Krolia. That she had to be reminded of the need for her, the sovereign leader of the Altean people, to maintain diplomatic patience by a Galra is not sitting well with her.

Coran, knowing Allura all her life, has a good sense for what she is feeling, and he approaches her as she works on her Lion with Romelle.

“Princess, are you ok?”

“You know me, Coran. I may get knocked down, but I’ll get back up.”

“You know in your heart that what Krolia said is true.”

“Yes, but what she advised is easier said than done.”

“I know. Many times, your father was in the position you are in now. It’s hard to maintain a good diplomatic front when you are being provoked into actions you’ll later regret. But there is an entire colony of thousands of Alteans that need our help…that need your help.” He points to Romelle. “We have to stay strong, for them.”

Romelle approaches Allura tentatively, hands folded in front of her. “Princess Allura, if I may…On the Colony, we heard many stories of Altea, but they were only stories and legends. It is such an honor to meet the direct descendent of King Alfor.

“Romelle…you know about my father?”

“The great King Alfor is well known among the Colony Alteans. The master alchemist, the wise ruler. His story was kept alive by word of mouth among the refugees. How he led the Alteans in the valiant yet doomed defense against the Galra is inspirational. My father modeled the way he ran the Colony after the teachings of King Alfor. He passed those teachings down to Merla, the current leader of the Colony.”

“Growing up, my brother and I were fascinated by the stories of the Altea of old.”

Coran is puzzled. “But I thought that you were only taught how Lotor was the savior of the Altean people. You never mentioned being taught about King Alfor.”

“The stories of Lotor saving the Alteans are taught, that is true. But along with those stories we learned about the time before the war with the Galra. We all heard the stories of Voltron, and how your father, along with Gyrgan, Trigel, Blaytz…” Her next words are spoken with disdain. “…and Zarkon…” Her spirits brighten again as she finishes her thought. “…fought for the weak and oppressed.”

“When Keith told me he was the Black Paladin of Voltron, I was not convinced. Not until we arrived at the Castle of Lions…the legendary Castle of Lions I heard so much about…and actually saw the Lions myself.”

“Why do you think the Colony Alteans will accept me as their leader, Romelle?”

“Because we crave for anything or anyone that will remind us that once there was a beautiful paradise called Altea. Because you are a natural leader, Princess.”

Allura folds her arms and looks away sadly. “A natural leader…more like a natural idiot. Krolia is right.” She turns to Coran. “Hard diplomacy…is hard. I hear what you are saying, Coran. But at this point I can’t promise anything.”

**THE Acxa**

The Thizonian System

Four vargas after his battle with Acxa ends, Keith finally wakes up. Feeling a numbness in his cheek he reaches up and feels something foreign on it. Pulling the first aid kit and using the mirror, Keith inspects the very neat bandage attached to his cheek.

As he gazes at the wound and recalls how he got it, he says to the Dire Wolf, “That’s going to leave a mark.”

He feels the bandage once again and looks to the Dire Wolf. “Wait…how did I…did you?”

“It wasn’t me. It was her.”

“Her who?”

“The Corillian you were fighting”

“Oh, her. Her name is Acxa. She is…”

“I know who she is. She is THE Acxa.”

“Excuse me? What does _that_ mean? THE Acxa?”

“Papa told me about her. The blue skinned female with the horns. Your mate. Or your soon to be mate. I’m not sure which. To be honest, I don’t think Papa was sure either.”

Keith sits back in his seat and reflects. Soran. Alpha male of the Sonai Pack of the Dire Wolf clan. Soran told his son about the conversation he and Keith had regarding Acxa. “Your father does have quite the imagination. Despite what Soran may have told you, Acxa is not my mate. She’s my…”

The wolf cocks his head in a gesture of curiosity at Keith’s hesitation in completing his statement. “Your…what, pack leader?”

Keith sighs heavily and slumps back into his chair. “…my enemy.”

“Really? That’s not how she acted before she left the Black Lion. She took great care tending to your injuries.”

Words cannot describe the impact felt by Keith as shakes out the remaining cobwebs clouding his mind and he clearly processes for the first time what the Dire Wolf is telling him.

“Before she left…Come again? She was here?!”

“Yes. I teleported to her ship and brought her here. You were badly injured and needed help.”

**Flashback: The Injured Paladin**

_The bright flash of light signals the arrival of Acxa and the Dire Wolf in the cockpit of the Black Lion. Seeing the unconscious Keith slumped in the pilots’ chair, Acxa rushes over to him._

_“Keith! Oh no!” She performs a rapid triage and assesses his wounds. Thankfully no broken bones, just a lot of bruises and a very nasty burn and cut on his cheek._

_“Where is the first aid kit?”_

_The wolf indicates the metal box off to Keith’s left. “It’s there.”_

_Acxa breaks open the kit and carefully cleans and disinfects the wound. “It’s just as well that he is unconscious. This has got to sting.” The wound cleaned, Acxa expertly applies the butterfly clips to pull the cut closed._

_“Sorry handsome, this is going to leave a scar.” She smiles warmly at him as she gently strokes his cheek. “ I think it will look good on you.”_

_Acxa finishes cleaning him up, then stashes the first aid kit. She turns to the Dire Wolf as she prepares to leave._

_“I’d like to leave him a message before I go. But I don’t have a way of leaving it, and I know the Black Lion won’t allow me to use the communication logs to leave a message.”_

_The Dire Wolf shoots Acxa a knowing look. “Don’t be so sure. Let me ask her.”_

_“Ask her? Wait…this thing is alive?”_

_“Shhh…she is very sensitive. She is a she, not an ‘it’. If you want to leave a message for Keith, don’t insult her. Now, I need a few ticks, don’t go anywhere…wait, that’s right, you can’t go anywhere without me so…just stay there. Talk to him.”_

_The Dire Wolf slips into a trance-like state as Acxa sits next to Keith. Waiting patiently, she turns to the now peacefully resting Black Paladin. “I hate to say this, but your Dire Wolf is a bit of a flake.”_

_She jumps when the console of the Black Lion activates. Coming out of his trance, the Dire Wolf points to a button on the console. “Tap this and leave your message. It will be recorded in the communications log.”_

**The Long Road Home**

“She was here for about twelve doboshes. She left a message for you in the communication log. Open it to the next to last entry.

Keith opens the log, and the image of a visibly upset Acxa appears. _“Hi, Keith, it’s me, Acxa. Your least favorite person in the entire universe right now. I don’t blame you for being angry with me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to chase you away. But you were too stubborn and too honorable to leave."_

_“I did my best to take care of that nasty cut, but I’m afraid it’s going to leave a scar. I guess you can say I gave you a lasting reminder of our encounter. If it’s any consolation, scars among the Galra are considered badges of honor, and yours is in a good spot, and, I think it will look fine and…I’m going to shut up about it now.”_

_I’m sorry I can’t help you the way you helped me on Braylar IV. I…hope you can forgive me…someday. Because if you can…I’d really…really…like to take you up on your offer. I am so tired of fighting. You told me, in another time and place, we could be friends. It would be so good to sit next to you without a gun in my hand, just to…talk.”_

_“Please, take care of yourself Keith. You are the most honorable and decent man I’ve ever met. Don’t die.”_

Keith stares at the monitor and does not move for a full dobosh. “What am I supposed to make of this message?”

“Um...she likes you would be the obvious guess.”

“You…really think so?”

“Did you and I just listen to different messages? Of course she likes you!”

“I don’t get it. She likes me, so she tries to kill me. Ok. I used to think human women were hard to figure out. Galra women are officially a complete mystery to me.”

“What’s strange about her trying to kill you? Its common practice in the Sonai for courting couples to fight one another. Mama told me that she liked Papa before they were mated, and she tried to kill him.”

“What? Why would she do that?”

“To get his attention, to let him know she was interested, to find out if he was worthy of her interest. If he survived, he was worthy. If not…on to the next candidate.”

“The next candid…Can we drop the subject, please? I need to figure out where we are and how to get back to the Castle…assuming it’s still there…”

“Sure.”

Keith proceeds to check the Black Lion and is relieved to find that the damage is not as bad as he thought. One of the wings is damaged, which will slow him down a bit, but otherwise Black is ready to go.

“Oh. She also gave us a set of flight coordinates. Those are in the last entry in your communications log.”

Keith gives the Dire Wolf a sideways glance of annoyance and responds sarcastically. “Way to drop the subject.” He opens his communications log one more time. “Ok, let’s see what we’ve got.”

Retrieving the message containing the coordinates, Keith punches them into his navigation computer and gets a wry grin once he sees where they lead.

“Hmmm…looks like we’re going back to Diabazaal.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s where the Castle of Lions is. And that’s apparently where Acxa is heading with Lotor and the others.”

Keith reflects on Acxa’s message and the coordinates she left and wonders what it means. Why would she leave a message like that? Why would she give him flight coordinates? It makes no sense.

Unless…

The realization slams into him with the force of a lightning bolt.

“She wants me to follow her. That’s the only logical explanation.”

“She wants you to do more than just follow her.”

“You’re right. I know that. I know what she wants me to do.”

“What are you going to do, pack leader?”

“We’re going back to the Castle of Lions because I need to get the Paladins. Because that’s where Lotor is heading. Because…that’s where Acxa is heading. She wants to take me up on my offer. And I’m going to give her that chance.”

“So, you’ve made your choice?”

Keith looks at the wolf and rubs him behind the ears. “I’ve made my choice. I’m going back to get her.”

“See, I knew you liked her!”

Keith engages Black’s navigation computer, setting them on the course back to Diabazaal.

“So, how long will it take us to get there?”

Keith casts a sideways glance at the Dire Wolf. “Has anyone ever told you how annoying you can be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank two of my readers, @MedusaSterling and @Guyvantic_Guyver for their comments throughout this work. We've gotten into some good and rather lengthy dialog, and the influence of that dialog appears in this chapter. My thanks to them, and to everyone else who has commented. I do listen.
> 
> The absence of Shiro forced a major revision to this chapter, so I kept the focus on four characters: Lotor, Allura, Keith, and Acxa. I also sought to get Romelle and Krolia more involved in the story, rather than just sitting around on their hands. Romelle, offering insight into what the Colony Alteans know about Altea and rolling up her sleeves to help the Paladins repair the Lions. And Krolia, stepping up to provide the clear-headed leadership and support the team needed following Allura's emotional trauma regarding Lotor and the virus infestation ravaging the Castle of Lions. 
> 
> Regarding Allura - despite appearances, I love her. She's been through a lot in one quintant, and quite frankly she needed the tough love that Krolia gave her, to help her come to grips with things. As Allura noted to Coran, it's easier said than done. 
> 
> Later today (26 July 2020) I will be posting revisions to Chapter 3 (The Way Forward) in Rejected by the Galra, to bring the two chapters in line with one another. It's something I've known would have to be done, but I didn't want to publish the revision too soon as it would tip my hand on what is in this chapter.
> 
> Thank you for stopping by to read this far. Please feel free to drop a comment or critique, as I would love to hear from you.


	17. All Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins face off against Lotor amid the ruins of Diabazaal. Acxa is forced to confront the harsh realities of Lotor's schemes, while Keith has an epiphany with the assistance of his spirit animal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the canon flow in general, but with significant AU changes and additional details to fill in missing or unclear plot points from canon.

**The Castle**

Castle of Lions

Hunk and Coran toil in the Main Turbine chamber, working to implement a plan developed by the Altean master engineer to divert power from the now-barely functioning Teleduv. There is only one slight problem…Coran’s plan to put his scheme into action is about as safe as lighting a match while floating on a pool of gasoline.

Coran swings upside down suspended by a rope tied around his ankles. As he swings, he uses his hands to activate circuit breakers that will divert the Teleduv power into the Main Turbine. Holding the other end of the rope is Hunk, straining with all his might to keep from dropping Coran into the depths of the Main Turbine.

“Uh, this doesn’t seem safe.”

“I don’t have time for safety. I need to get the Castle of Lions back up and running. Diverting power to the Main Turbine to restart it might be the only way.”

“What are the chances that bolts of magic electricity are gonna shoot everywhere once it gets started?”

“Hopefully the chances are good. That’s what we want to happen.”

“Whaaat?” Hunk looks at the Energy Core, which sits adjacent to the Main Turbine and sighs. “We really need to work on our safety procedures.”

\---------------

Control Room, Outside Main Turbine Chamber, Castle of Lions

Under Krolia’s watchful eyes, Pidge furiously keys instructions into a remote terminal connected to both the Teleduv and the Main Turbine. While Coran handles the physical end of the power transfer, Pidge works on the changes to the Castle software needed to complete it.

Wrapping up her work, Pidge receives a call from Coran over their voice link.

_“How’s it going Number Five?”_

“I’ve diverted as much power from the Teleduv to the Main Turbine as I could.”

_“Nice work! OK, looks like we have the power we need to attempt a system restart.”_

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

_“Allura, begin the reboot sequence.”_

Allura stands before the main viewscreen, staring vacantly at her control panel. She hears Coran, she sees Coran, but she is not listening to Coran.

_“Allura, can you hear me? Is this thing on mute? There’s a lot of blood rushing to my head. I keep hitting the wrong buttons.”_

Her mind is a million miles away, replaying her confrontation with Lotor over and over in her mind. She also recalls the scolding she received from Krolia over her treatment of Lotor.

She wonders how things would have turned out if she had kept her emotions in check. If she had allowed Keith and Krolia to carry through with their plan to convince Lotor to provide the missing details. All she succeeds in doing by replaying these sequences over in her mind is punishing herself for not only making a huge diplomatic blunder, but possibly a personal one as well.

Seated at his console and backing up Allura on her tasks, Lance observes the one-sided exchange between her and Coran with concern. One look at her convinces him that her thoughts are somewhere else.

“Allura?”

The sound of his voice succeeds in partially snapping Allura out of her funk.

“Oh, right. What is it you need, Coran?”

_“The reboot sequence. Can you run it again?”_

Allura turns her focus to her control panel and wordlessly keys the instructions to initiate the reboot sequence. Lance looks on, still concerned about Allura’s mental well-being.

\---------------

Main Turbine Chamber, Castle of Lions

Hunk strains to pull Coran up from the inner workings of the Main Turbine. Watching the big man’s struggles and wanting to help any way she can, Romelle steps in to give him an assist.

“Hunk, let me help you.”

As they pull on the rope together, Hunk is struck by how light Coran suddenly becomes. He looks at Romelle with amazement.

“I keep forgetting just how strong Altean women are.”

As Coran clambers over the railing, he alerts the two of them about what’s next.

“Allura has begun the sequence. Power should be flowing any tick.”

Coran races to the control station to check the status of the restart.

Romelle peeks over Coran’s left shoulder while Hunk stands and does the same over his right. Blinking red indicators on the screen signal that things are definitely not in the desired state.

“Coran, I may not be the best person to judge, but that doesn’t look good.”

“It’s not, Romelle. We’re in worse shape than I thought. Looks like we hit another snag. Hold tight!”

Krolia, listening to their conversation over their voice link, volunteers to help. “ _Pidge has things under control here, Coran. I’m on my way to give you a hand.”_

\---------------

Bridge, Castle of Lions

Allura shuts down her control station and crosses her arms as Coran and the others shift gears and look to tackle the power issue another way. She stares down at the floor, lost in her thoughts. She is joined by Lance, who is still very concerned about her.

“Allura, are you ok? You seem a little distracted.”

She closes her eyes and crosses her arms even more tightly in front of her than before. “I’m just so angry with myself for allowing this to happen. I played right into Lotor’s hands, and I fear my actions have placed us in this dire situation.”

“You didn’t put us in this situation. It was Sendak who planted the virus in the Castle. For all we know it was one of the Generals or Haggar that triggered it.”

Opening her eyes, Allura continues to stare at the deck. “No, this is _my_ fault. I trusted Lotor. I helped him build and empower his ships, granting him unlimited access to the Quintessence field.” She finally looks up, sighing heavily. “I was fooled by him, and it put the entire universe in jeopardy.”

She looks away from Lance and verbally beats herself up, ashamed of her actions. “How can the Coalition ever be expected to trust me when I’m not sure I can trust myself.”

Lance senses the emotional pain she is going through. “Allura, it wasn’t just you who trusted Lotor. We all did. I had more reason than anyone not to trust him, but he did everything right.”

“He didn’t just fool you. He fooled us all.”

Appreciative of the support Lance gives her, Allura pulls him into a tight embrace.

Startled by her actions, Lance recovers and returns the hug. Whispering in her ear he says, “Let me tell you, as someone who’s made a million mistakes…all you can do is get up and try to make it right. You can’t doubt yourself now. We need you. The universe needs you.”

Allura looks up over his shoulder, tears flowing openly down her cheeks. “Thank you, Lance.”

A few ticks later, the communications alarm begins to beep, indicating an incoming message.”

\---------------

**The Prodigal Paladin**

Allura responds to the hail by opening the communications link on their end. The image that appears on the main viewscreen is a welcome one.

_“Hailing the Castle of Lions. This is Keith.”_

Lance is overjoyed to see him, being concerned for some time that Keith was dead. “Keith! You’re ok!”

Allura is just as glad to see him. “Where have you been? Did you get Lotor?”

_“No. The Generals took him to Haggar. But he got away somehow.”_

“Got away? What do you mean?”

_“I got into a dogfight with Acxa and lost…she knocked me out of commission for a few vargas, but she spared my life. She never intended to kill me, or she would have. When I came to, the Galra were gone.”_

“How do you know she didn’t want to kill you? And if she didn’t want to kill you, then why did she fight you?”

_“Lance…I just know. It’s complicated. I’ll explain everything later, but right now, you need to focus on Lotor. I’ve picked up the Sincline ships on my scanners. It looks like Lotor is headed back to your position. Right where you are. My guess is that the Generals are with him.”_

“Well, if Acxa didn’t want to kill you, she won’t want to kill us, right? Us being your friends and all…right?”

_“Don’t bet on it. If Lotor orders them to or if you provoke them, they will fight, and they will shoot to kill. All of them.”_

Seeing the very puzzled look on his face, Keith releases an exasperated sigh. _“Like I said, it’s complicated.”_

Allura ponders the situation for a tick. “Lotor needs to get back into the Quintessence field.”

_“I’m on my way to you now. But without a wormhole, its gonna take me awhile. You’ll have to hold off Lotor and keep him from getting into the Quintessence field without me.”_

“We’ll do what we can.”

_“Lance, Allura…don’t do anything rash or foolish. Don’t let the situation get away from you.”_

“Meaning what, exactly, Keith?” Allura, still steaming over what transpired between her and Lotor earlier, is provoked once again. “I don’t need you lecturing me. Weren’t you the one who one told me that you didn’t need a lecture from me?”

_“Allura, please. You need to…”_

Allura puts her foot down and brings an end to the argument. “The other Paladins and I will stop him. It would help a great deal if you were here so we could form Voltron. But you’re not. I guess it was just another one of your rash decisions that led to that situation, wouldn’t you say?”

Keith turns to Lance, hoping for sanity to prevail. Fortunately, Lance seems to have a grasp on the seriousness of the situation and maintains his objectivity…and his composure.

“Don’t worry, Keith. We’ll do what we can to keep a lid on the situation. Get back as quickly as you can. Hopefully we’ll still be alive by the time you get here.”

\---------------

The Black Lion

Keith grits his teeth and closes his eyes, shocked and surprised by the attitude of Allura. Lance is right about one thing…he hopes they will all still be alive by the time he gets there. Out of concrete options, he verbally urges Black on.

“Black, please. I need to get to the team before Lotor.”

The Black Lion growls and does her best to increase speed. But it’s not much of an improvement over what she had been doing.

**The Gathering Storm**

The Castle of Lions

Allura and Lance call everyone together for a meeting on the Bridge. Once assembled, Allura lays out the plan for the Paladins to keep Lotor from entering the Quintessence field. Krolia, listening to Allura’s plan along with Coran and Romelle, holds her peace for the moment.

“Accessing the Quintessence field has been Lotor’s singular drive for millennia. He wants to harness the power for himself, but we cannot let him. Thankfully, there’s only one way into the Quintessence field. Through the inter-reality gate.”

“So, we must destroy it.”

Krolia closes her eyes and draws a deep breath. The time for remaining silent is past.

“That’s the plan for stopping him? Blow up the gate?”

“Yes.”

Allura stares daggers at Krolia, not wanting another lecture. But another lecture is exactly what she gets.

“Allura, are you certain that is the only way? Lotor has made no hostile moves towards any of us. If you destroy the gate you will only provoke him further. We still need to find out what happened on the second Colony and starting a fight with him is a guarantee that we won’t get the answers we need.”

Allura pushes back hard. “We need to stop him from getting into the Quintessence field. That gate is the way in. I don’t want to be in a situation where the Generals keep us occupied while he sneaks around us. That is not going to happen, and with all due respect Krolia there is nothing you can do to stop me from destroying that gate!”

Romelle stands next to Allura and lends her support to the plans of the Princess. “I agree with Allura. Let’s destroy the gate, stop Lotor, and then we can talk.”

Krolia’s expression hardens. “You are both being naïve. Lotor will see the destruction of the gate as an act of aggression. Don’t forget, he is still the Emperor of the Galra Empire, and despite all that has happened to it, the Empire is still the most powerful sovereign entity in the universe. Your actions threaten to reignite the war with them.”

Scanning the room, Krolia realizes hers is the minority opinion. So, she leaves the Paladins with a prophetic warning.

“You’re right, Princess, I can’t stop you, especially if the Paladins back you. But mark my words, you are all making a monumental mistake. One that we will all pay for in the end.”

Coran remains quiet during the entire exchange. As Krolia moves away from the Princess and passes him, she shoots him a stern look.

Knowing she has the support of the Paladins, Allura puts her plan into motion. “All right. It’s settled then. We destroy the gate. Paladins, let’s get to our Lions.”

Coran clears his throat to get everyone’s attention. “I’ll continue working on the Castle. Krolia, Romelle, I could use your help with that. We’ll do our best to get it up and running before Lotor arrives. It will be slow going, but we’ll get it done.”

“Good luck, Coran. We’ll need all the help we can get in the fight against Lotor.”

Krolia tells herself it’s a fight they would not be fighting if only cooler heads prevailed earlier. Now, she is concerned that the Paladins are only digging the hole deeper for all of them.

She wishes Keith were here to back her up.

\---------------

Sincline Ships, On Route to Diabazaal

Emerging from one of their multiple hyperspace jumps, Lotor decides it is time he bring Zethrid and Ezor up to speed on what he and Acxa were up to.

“Zethrid, Ezor, my deepest apologies for lying to you both, but in order to gain the Princess’ trust and make the Paladins of Voltron believe we were truly at odds, it had to be done.”

“I’m just glad we’re on your side again.”

“As long as I get to blow something up, I’m good.”

“Excellent. Today, we will gain access to unlimited Quintessence, and together, we usher in a new era of power.”

As Lotor falls silent, focusing on the route to Diabazaal, Ezor opens a secure channel to Acxa. “So, mind filling the rest of us in on what the heck is going on? What was all that nonsense he was just talking about?”

Acxa knew this question was coming.

_“Ezor, remember the first time we went to Diabazaal, to the Inter-reality gate? How Zethrid and Lotor passed through and nothing happened? Before we landed on the meteoroid, where I shot him, Lotor called me on a secure channel. He asked me to help him with a plan that would allow him to fool the Paladins into thinking he was switching sides.”_

_“He knew that Altean alchemy was the missing piece that would allow the Sincline ships to pierce the barrier between this reality and the Quintessence field. He needed an Altean alchemist and the only Altean alchemist who could help him was Princess Allura.”_

“Ooooh…I get it. Plausible deniability. Keep us out of the loop and thinking he really had switched sides. That’s why you didn’t tell us?”

_“Yes Ezor, that’s right.”_

“And his plan included you shooting him?”

_“Believe it or not Zethrid, it did. I was supposed to shoot him, and then make sure he was loaded onto your ship. At some point he was going to take over the ship and eject you. I just wasn’t sure how he was going to do it.”_

“Yeah, well trust me I wasn’t laughing when he pulled that double-jointed shoulders stunt and ejected me into space.”

“Did this plan include Lotor killing Zarkon, the three of us getting arrested for it, and working with Haggar?”

_“Killing Zarkon was a part of Lotor’s scheme, Ezor. And part of that was the prisoner exchange. While we were procuring the human named Sam Holt, Lotor was cultivating a contact within the Castle of Lions. When it came time for us to make the arrangements for the swap, the contact arranged for Lotor to get a message to me, and we worked out the details. They would make sure Lotor was armed. I would make sure I was the one who checked him for weapons when the swap was made. When I was checking him, I loosened his restraints so he could free his hands when the time came.”_

“Wait…Lotor clocked you pretty good when he freed himself. Was that planned?”

_“Well, I shot him, so, I guess that punch made us even.”_

“Who was your contact inside the Castle of Lions?”

Acxa closes her eyes for a tick. She’s about to lie to her friends once again.

_“I don’t know, Zethrid. Contact was always through messages, we never spoke. What I do know is that whoever they are, they made arrangements with the Black Paladin to let Lotor use the Black Bayard.”_

“I see…” Although Ezor says nothing else, Acxa can tell by the tone in her voice that Ezor knows that the contact within the Castle of Lions was Keith.

_“As for getting arrested and working for Haggar…those were unplanned. But, in the end, everything worked out.”_

Acxa’s explanation satisfies Zethrid. “It’s all good. Like you said, things have a way of working out.”

Acxa switches off the channel, sits back in her pilots chair, and closes her eyes. The whole deception she and Lotor ran not only against the Paladins and Haggar, but also against Zethrid and Ezor, leaves a bad taste in her mouth. She feels sullied in a way. She’s been extremely uncomfortable with the whole scheme this entire time, and in a way it feels good to come clean about it.

She thinks about Keith and the message she left for him after their last battle. He would never have asked her to do something like this; this deception that Lotor asked her to run.

She tells herself it won’t take much to cause her to jump sides at this point.

\---------------

Inter-Reality Gate, Diabazaal

Above the center of shattered Diabazaal, the outline of the circular Inter-reality gate glows a bright light blue. It consists of a large ring surrounding a six-sided central core. Radiating out from this core are three large pointed spokes, broad at the base where they join the core, pointed where they connect to the outer ring. It is through the central core that access to the Quintessence field is gained.

But as Lotor discovered some phoebs earlier, it takes more to access the Quintessence field than merely passing through the Inter-reality gate. A vessel passing through the gate must possess specific qualities gained through Altean alchemy. Qualities that the five Lions of Voltron possess, thanks to King Alfor.

Qualities that two of the three Sincline ships also possess, thanks to Princess Allura.

The four Paladins slowly make their approach to the Inter-reality gate. They deploy in front of the gate according to Allura’s instructions. Lance, the leader of the Paladins in Keith’s absence, has deferred the mission to stop Lotor to Allura despite his own concerns. He gives her one final opportunity to change her mind.

“Are you sure about this?”

Allura’s jaw, like her overall demeanor, is set and determined. “We must. It’s the only way.”

The Lions fire their main Ion weapons in sequential order, starting with Blue, then progressing through Red, to Green, and finally to Yellow.

The Ion beams strike the Inter-reality gate with devastating force. The gate explodes in a massive fireball that rips through the remains of the shattered Diabazaal.

When the light dissipates, they see no trace of the Inter-reality gate.

\---------------

Diabazaal

Destroying the Inter-reality gate was the easy part. Pidge wants to know if there is more to their plan than just blowing something up. “Lotor will be here any tick. What’s the plan?”

“Well, the Castle of Lions is broken down. So, there’s no help there. The Black Lion isn’t with us, so we can’t form Voltron. We’re just going to have to do what we can.”

That’s exactly what Pidge was afraid Allura would say. “Got it. Attempt to survive.”

Hunk isn’t happy with that answer and lets everyone know why. “The last time we fought these guys, we had five ships and they had three, and they still kicked our butts. This time, they’re gonna have three ships, and we only have four. Does…does anyone else see where I’m going with this?”

Lance does, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. “Zip it, Hunk! No one is interested in your math equations right now. Especially ones that add up to us taking a beating.”

Listening to the banter, Allura closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She opens her communications link to Coran, hoping for some good news from the Castle.

“Coran, how are the repairs coming?”

_“I’m working on them, Princess.”_

\---------------

Engineering Access Tunnel, Castle of Lions

Coran strains as he crawls his way through a narrow engineering access corridor, attempting to reach the inner workings of the Castle of Lions power plant.

“The problem is we need power for the systems that start the Main Turbine. But if I use that power to engage those systems, I don’t have power to run the Main Turbine. It’s a conundrum.”

_“Coran, without the Castle of Lions backing us up, we might not make it.”_

“Right, no pressure.” Signing off from Allura, he reaches a fork in the access tunnel. Picking his direction, he talks to himself to work out his next steps. “Come on, Coran. Think. I’ve still got Krolia to help me…and Romelle…and the space mice.”

He reaches his destination – a long downward shaft that leads to the Power Plant. This is the part of the Castle of Lions that takes energy generated by the Main Turbine and distributes it throughout the Castle. It is a long drop, and he sits there for a dobosh trying to figure out how to get down to the access hatchway to the Power Plant. He begins a slow climb down the shaft, but a slip of his foot sends him to the bottom faster than he planned.

He lands hard on the access hatchway, and the force of his impact pops it open. Clinging tightly to the edges of the hatch with his hands and feet, he quickly measures the drop between the hatchway and the floor of the compartment.

Gritting his teeth, he lowers his feet, holding on with only his hands. Once in position, he releases his grip on the edge of the hatchway and drops to the deck.

\---------------

Main Power Plant, Castle of Lions

Gazing around the room at the conduits, pipes, and electrical systems, something catches his eye. Tucked into a storage compartment set on top of a workstation, he spots a six-sided toolbox. He pulls out the box, dusts off the nameplate, and is surprised to see who the toolkit belonged to.

“Hieronymus Wimbleton? My grandfather’s toolkit!”

Coran opens the box and steps back as more than 10,000 decaphoebs worth of dust flies into the air. Once it clears, he takes stock of the contents of the toolkit.

“Spanner wrenches…drivers…six hammers…gauges…Hmm…what’s this?”

Among the items in the toolkit, he discovers a flask containing a liquid that looks vaguely familiar. Removing the stopper, he takes a sniff and instantly regrets doing so. He recoils and his eyes begin to water as the pungent odor of the contents hits his nostrils.

“Ohh…<cough cough>. And a 10,000 decaphoeb old bottle of Nunville. Yep, that’s Pop-Pop Wimbleton.”

Nunville is a potent Altean drink with a high alcohol content. It is also highly explosive under certain conditions.

“Hieronymus Wimbleton. All I’ve ever wanted to do was live up to your great name. When I first saw your Castle of Lions take to the sky, I knew anything was possible. Now I’m not so sure.”

Coran hangs his head in thought, staring at the toolbox as he contemplates his next actions. Then, it hits him.

“Wait a tick.”

**Faceoff**

Diabazaal

The proximity alarms in Red begin to flash and beep rapidly. Checking his scanners, Lance detects three ships approaching their position rapidly.

“We got incoming.”

Hunk confirms the sensor readings from Red. “Guys, they’re here.”

Lance takes the lead and calmly issues the first battle order of this engagement. “Hold your positions. Let Lotor make the first move.”

Her eyes reflecting the rage she is feeling, Allura stares straight ahead at the incoming ships.

Seeing the Lions blocking their path, the Sincline ships slow and come to a stop. Leaning forward, ready to respond to any move the Paladins may make, Acxa does a quick visual inspection and checks her sensors.

_“Lotor, the gate. It’s destroyed.”_

A sense of dread overtakes Ezor and Zethrid. The last time the two of them were here trying to go through the Inter-reality gate, the effort ended in failure. Now with the gate destroyed they face mission failure yet again.

Lotor contemplates his next move, then opens a hailing frequency to the Paladins.

“We need not fight today. We are all on the same side. I know what you all must think of me now that you know my past. It doesn’t have to change our future together.”

“The truth is, I want to harness the power of the Quintessence field to better the universe, just like I said. Nothing has changed.”

Allura is quick to respond. Keith wants them to engage Lotor in hard dialog, to find out what was really going on at the second Colony? She is more than ready to engage Lotor in hard dialog.

Closing her eyes tightly for a tick and choosing her words carefully, she verbally confronts Lotor. One thing she does not try to hide is the passion and emotion she is feeling.

“You enslaved countless Alteans. Harnessed their life source for your own personal gain. How many innocent lives did you destroy?”

“Allura, I…”

“HOW MANY?”

Lotor closes his eyes and grimaces. “It’s true. Many Alteans perished in my quest to unlock the mysteries of Quintessence. But I protected thousands more, and I rescued their culture…our culture.”

\---------------

Together in Sincline 3, Zethrid opens the internal communications link to Ezor and bridges Acxa into their conversation. “Why is he pleading with the Paladins? Why are we not opening fire?”

“Humph…I stopped trying to figure out Lotor’s master plan long ago. Too complicated.”

Acxa listens to their banter and reflects on what Lotor is saying. A heavy weight settles in the pit of her stomach. Talk of Lotor murdering Alteans for their Quintessence unnerves the normally unflappable Corillian half-breed.

The Lotor that Princess Allura describes is not the Lotor that Acxa knows…or thought she knew. Now, she is not sure what to believe any more.

\---------------

“Allura, you must understand, I’ve given everything I have to plumb the depths of King Alfor’s knowledge to unlock the mysteries of Oriande. Please, Allura, we’ve come too far together. Surely, you can see the greatness we’ve already accomplished.”

“There’s still more to come. Join me. We’re on the same side.”

Something snaps inside Allura. Her emotions take over and her burning desire to destroy Lotor comes to the fore.

“No, WE’RE NOT!”

Allura fires Blue’s Ion weapons at the Sincline ships, scattering the three of them.

Lance frantically calls to the Paladins to hold their fire. “Allura, stand down! Everyone, hold your fire!”

Instinct takes over as Zethrid and Acxa power up the weapons on Sincline 2 and 3, ready to blast away at the Lions.

Lotor, hearing Lance’s orders to the Paladins, quickly follows suit. He looks to his left towards Acxa in Sincline 2. “Hold your fire!” Then to his right towards Zethrid in Sincline 3. “HOLD YOUR FIRE!”

The Generals freeze and power down their weapons, not quite sure what is coming next. Breaking out into a cold sweat, a nervous Acxa can only wait to see how things transpire. Zethrid grimaces, completely confused by what Lotor is doing. Ezor, the passenger in Sincline 3, looks on nervously.

“Allura, stop! You and I hold the ancient knowledge of our Altean culture. We were meant to be together. My feelings for you are true. And I know you have feelings for me as well.”

“You betrayed and used me. You’re more like Zarkon than I could have ever imagined.”

The shock of hearing the woman he cares for comparing him to his father…the man who abused him throughout his childhood, who treated him with disrespect and repeatedly threw him aside…is too much for Lotor to bear.

He snaps. Eyes wide, teeth gnashing tightly together, he firmly grips the controls of Sincline 1. His entire body shakes, first with disbelief…then with rage. His inner child, the one who suffered at the hands of Zarkon, the one craving for love and thirsting for revenge against those who hurt, rejected, and betrayed him, now comes forward and takes over.

Lotor closes his eyes as the conflict rages inside him.

Opening them, he lashes out at Allura. To him she is now just another person in a long line of people who betrayed and hurt him.

“What about your father? He may have been a master engineer, but Alfor was too weak to defend his home world. I’m the one who had to step up and save our entire race. Who are you to question my tactics in bringing peace and prosperity to the universe?”

Lotor is done talking. He issues a battle order to his Generals.

“Destroy the Lions.”

**Opening Moves**

Sincline/Lion Dogfight, Diabazaal

As Lotor hangs back, Acxa and Zethrid launch their attack on the Paladins. Racing forward, they begin an intense fusillade against the Lions.

Her all-consuming rage in full control of her, Allura races ahead in Blue, heading straight for Lotor. Horrified, Lance calls to her to maintain formation discipline.

“Allura, stay with the group!”

Following the Blue Paladin’s lead, Hunk and Pidge throw the Green and Yellow Lions into attack mode, taking on Sincline 2 and 3. Within ticks, a general dogfight ensues.

The Paladins have the advantage in armor, while the Sincline ships have the advantage in speed and firepower. Fully aware of their advantages, Acxa and Zethrid, the pilots of Sincline 2 and 3 respectively, press their attack.

Zethrid immediately goes after Red, the fastest of the Lions, while Acxa squares off against Green and Yellow.

As those dogfights develop, Allura screams out her rage and charges Lotor. Keeping his cool, Lotor simply slides Sincline 1 out of the way of the charging Blue Lion just before it reaches him. He then makes a high, tight loop with the intent of attacking her from behind.

Seeing this maneuver, and with Zethrid still on his tail, Lance engages Lotor. Firing a long blast with Red’s Ion beam and moving his Lion at top speed, Lance is unable to get a firm target lock. As Lotor races across the surface of a large planetary fragment, Red’s Ion beam traces a long scorch line across it just behind the elusive Sincline 1.

Sincline 3 is rocked by multiple Ion blasts from the Yellow Lion. Grateful for the assist from Hunk, Lance takes advantage of Zethrid’s momentary distraction to not only shake her but come up behind her for a shot. Acquiring target lock he fires, only to get a demonstration of the speed of the Sincline ship.

Detecting his target lock, Zethrid pulls the ship hard right and, taking advantage of a slight hesitation in Lance’s response, turns the tables and comes at him from his starboard side.

Looking for Acxa in Sincline 2, Hunk finds her the hard way. Acxa comes at him from below and strikes him with the main weapon of her ship. Yellow is rocked by the force of the impact but is otherwise unharmed.

Knowing they need backup, Hunk contacts Coran and pleads for support.

“Coran, we need your help here! Please tell me you got the Castle up and running!”

_“I’m working on it!”_

\---------------

Main Turbine Chamber, Castle of Lions

“Krolia, get ready! The combination of fermented Nunville with the energy core should essentially jump-start the Main Turbine without using the Castle’s power.”

Coran dumps the greatly fermented and highly volatile Nunville into an explosive device as Krolia, stationed in the Engine Room, provides her status.

_“I’m ready. But are you sure setting off a bomb in the Energy Core is a good idea?”_

Coran is brutally honest. “No, I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but it’s our only idea.”

\---------------

Sincline/Lion Dogfight, Diabazaal

Giving Lance cover with some well-placed Ion blasts on Sincline 3 as he maneuvers to avoid Zethrid, Pidge takes two successive hits from Acxa in Sincline 2. Hunk swoops in to cover Pidge, only to be blasted by Zethrid. Covering Hunk, Red is struck by two shots from Acxa in Sincline 2.

Lance recognizes the attack pattern the two Sincline ships are employing. “They’re using a circular attack pattern on us. Whoever goes after one of them gets blasted by the other. It’s like running into a buzz saw head first!”

“Ok, so where is Allura? Four on two, we can take these guys!”

Pidge looks to her left and finds the answer. “She has her hands full with Lotor.”

\---------------

Main Turbine Chamber, Castle of Lions

Coran studies his homemade bomb one final time. “Well…here goes nothing…or everything.” Focusing on his target, he shakes the contents of the bomb by tossing it quickly from one hand to another four times. On the fourth toss, he rears back and hurls it into the Energy Core.

He quickly pivots and sprints back towards the hatchway leading from the Main Turbine chamber. Counting down in his head, he presses the button on the detonator in his left hand four ticks after tossing the bomb.

The blast is larger than he expected, and the concussive force slams him swiftly through the open hatchway leading from the Main Turbine chamber.

\---------------

Engine Room One, Castle of Lions

Krolia detects the sudden surge of power flowing into Engine Number One. Checking the readouts from the engine, she finds that it is quickly coming online. Looking down the power core of the engine she sees the streams of energy pulsing between the capacitors.

Lights throughout the ship begin to come back online as the Main Turbine begins to hum with life once again. Krolia checks the status of the Castle’s main systems and determines there is just enough power for most of them to come back to life.

\---------------

Main Turbine Chamber, Castle of Lions

_“Coran, are you there? We’ve got an engine back online!”_

Krolia’s good news is bolstered by equally good news from Romelle on the Bridge. Before putting their plan into motion, she received a quick tutorial on the Bridge systems from Coran. Being a quick learner who believes that a button hasn’t been invented that she shouldn’t push, she quickly figures out the intricacies and nuances of the Bridge software.

_“Bridge systems coming back online. Weapons systems rebooting, coming back online.”_

Coran is ecstatic. “Whoo Hoo! Thank you Pop-Pop Wimbleton!”

\---------------

Engine Room One, Castle of Lions

Coran races to the Bridge to assist Romelle while Krolia lingers in Engine Room One. She has one more task to perform before joining them on the Bridge.

Krolia opens an outside high-speed high frequency communications channel and keys a coded message into the console. The message contains the coordinates to the Altean colonies along with a brief explanation of what they represent and what she is asking the recipient of the message to do.

The transmission’s intended recipient is the Blade Master of Blade of Marmora. Knowing that the Castle of Lions doesn’t have the power to send a message directly to Blade Headquarters, she routs the message through the Blade rally point at Zailox station in the nearby Klii-Nyn system. She wants to get the word to Kolivan about the Colony Alteans, so that he may begin to do some digging on his end and hopefully find out more about the purpose of the second Colony.

\---------------

Sincline/Lion Dogfight, Diabazaal

Disengaging from the fight against Sincline 2 and 3, Lance slides over to give Allura an assist in her battle against Lotor. He quickly realizes that Lotor is toying with them, once again employing his strategy of allowing his opponents to attack while he analyzes their tendencies. Knowing they must end the fight quickly before Lotor strikes, Lance presses his attack. But Lotor remains elusive and avoids every attempt by the Red Paladin to strike his ship.

The cavalry, so to speak, finally arrives on scene as Coran maneuvers the Castle of Lions into the fray.

“Don’t worry, guys, I’m here!”

Plowing ahead, barely in control of the direction of the Castle, Coran manages to ram Sincline 3, giving Hunk and Pidge a break from Zethrid’s relentless attack. Inside Sincline 3, Zethrid and Ezor are thrown from side-to-side as their ship cartwheels away from the fray.

While Lance appreciates the unorthodox attack style Coran just used, he also knows something is amiss.

_“Coran, what’s going on with the Castle?”_

“Well, we’ve only got one of the four engines working, so I’m kind of learning to fly all over again.”

**Meltdown**

Pressing her attack on Lotor, still in a blind rage, Allura is unable to land any kind of a strike on the elusive Emperor. Her eyes go wide as Lotor suddenly executes a sharp 180 degree turn and initiates a head-on attack. Seeing two shots coming towards her, Allura barrel rolls Blue to avoid them and streaks past Lotor.

It is the only move she can make to avoid Lotor’s fire. Unfortunately, it also puts her in a vulnerable position as he comes up on the tail of the Blue Lion.

Lotor has seen enough. It’s time he presses his advantage and seeks to destroy the Blue Lion. But not before he has the final word.

“Once I wipe out Voltron, I’m going to start a new Altea. An Altea that will never know of Princess Allura or King Alfor.”

He acquires target lock on the Blue Lion.

“Nor will they know of the Lions of Voltron. All they’ll know is me, their great leader!”

\---------------

Acxa closes in on the elusive Red Lion while Ezor and Zethrid take on the Yellow Lion. A few ticks earlier they delivered a devastating blow to the Green Lion. While not a kill shot, their blast stunned Pidge and temporarily knocked the Lion out of the fight. Now in one-on-one fights against Yellow and Red, they intend to do the same to them.

Once they are disposed of, they will circle back and finish off the Green Lion.

\---------------

Engine Room, Castle of Lions

Five doboshes after sending her message, Krolia receives confirmation that the message was received and is being relayed to Blade of Marmora Headquarters.

\---------------

Sincline/Lion Dogfight, Diabazaal

Lotor lets out a maniacal laugh as he fires several blasts at Allura. She manages to dodge them all, but she knows it is only a matter of time before he starts anticipating her moves and finds the range.

“I’m ready to wipe the universe clean of all my enemies. Voltron. Haggar. And the rest of the Galra!”

\---------------

While his words are disturbing to Allura, they are shocking to Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor. Acxa and Zethrid immediately cease their attacks as they process what they just heard.

Acxa is the one most affected by his statement. She’s dedicated her entire adult life to serving Lotor. She’s done horrible things in his name. She’s acted deceitfully in his name, to the point that she lied to her two closest friends. Despite the misgivings she’s continually wrestled with, she rationalized his quirky behavior as ultimately being in the best interest of the universe.

Now, she realizes, it was all a flimsy house of cards built on a shaky foundation of lies. And that house of cards has just collapsed on her.

She decides that her only hope, in fact the only hope that the three Generals have, lies in the promise of acceptance by the only truly honorable man she’s ever met.

If only he were here.

Nevertheless, it is time to take Keith up on his offer, on his promise of acceptance into the Coalition.

She opens a channel to Zethrid and Ezor.

_“I think it’s time to sever our ties with Lotor for good. Disengage from the battle, follow my lead.”_

Sincline 2 and 3 break off pursuit of the Paladins and begin to make their way towards the Castle of Lions. Acxa knows their best chance of survival is to surrender to the personnel in the Castle and take their chances until Keith arrives. She believes that when he makes it back, he will protect them from reprisal by Coalition forces.

There is only one obstacle to Acxa’s plan.

\---------------

The sight of the fleeing Sincline ships further enrages the already enraged Lotor.

“Even my Generals betray me.”

Lotor pulls away from his pursuit of Allura. He activates a console that to this point has never been used. There’s been no reason for him to use it.

Until now.

Icons representing each of the three Sincline ships occupy the top of the console. He selects the icons representing Sincline 2 and 3, then keys in a command. Hitting the execute button, he sends an override command to the two ships. The three Sincline ships begin to glow with an eerie purple light as Lotor takes control of Sincline 2 and 3 from Acxa and Zethrid.

Once in control, he moves Sincline 1 up behind Sincline 2 and 3 and punches another button. “Time to get rid of the excess personnel.”

Ezor and Zethrid in Sincline 3 are the first to go, ejected unceremoniously from their ship into space. Seeing this, Acxa reaches out to her former mentor one last time.

_“Lotor, don’t do this!”_

Her plea falls on deaf ears. She soon finds herself floating in space, next to Zethrid and Ezor.

Hunk sees all three Generals ejected out of their ships and calls it to the Paladin’s attention.

“Ok, this can’t be good. He just gave his Generals the heave-ho.”

\---------------

Now in control of all three ships, Lotor implements the key phase of his master plan. He pulls Sincline 2 towards Sincline 1 and the two ships join together. Sincline 1 forms the body of a giant robot, while Sincline 2 forms both arms. Sincline 3 is joined to the two ships and becomes the legs.

When all three ships are joined, the cockpit of Sincline 1 pops out and forms the head of a giant robot. Hands emerge from the two arms of Sincline 2, while feet emerge from the legs of Sincline 3. The final part of the robot is revealed when a long stabilizing tail, like a cats tail but with a forked tip, emerges from the body of Sincline 1.

Pulling the arms up then snapping them down to the sides as if locking the final pieces of a puzzle into place, Lotor reveals his real reason for building the Sincline ships.

It was to build the giant Sincline mech…his answer to Voltron.

\---------------

Recovered from her earlier bout with Zethrid, an astonished Pidge stares ahead at the monstrosity in front of them.

“What is that thing?”

She knows, but Lance puts it into words for everyone. “He’s created his own Voltron.”

For Allura, another piece to the puzzle falls into place for her. “That is why he was using me. I helped him build it!”

Leave it to Hunk to try to find any silver lining in a bad situation.

“Well, the good news is that it’s now four on one.”

**Fight for Survival**

When Acxa developed the plans for the Sincline ships so many phoebs ago, she designed them to dock together to form a larger mech in a manner similar to that used by the five Lions of Voltron. Seeing her plans come to life, she is shocked and horrified.

The Generals float in space and watch the merger of the three Sincline ships into the Sincline mech, mesmerized by the sight. Until Acxa snaps everyone back to reality.

 _“We need to get out of here.”_ Looking ahead, she spots a large meteoroid, a fragment from shattered Diabazaal. _“We’ll take cover over there.”_

“Ok, then what?”

Acxa stares Zethrid squarely in the eye. _“We pray the Paladins win. They are our only hope of survival.”_

Brief gallows laughter comes from Ezor as she calls out the irony of the situation. “A few doboshes ago we were trying to kill them. Now we’re rooting for them. I never thought I would see the quintant.”

As they make for the meteoroid, Acxa mumbles to herself. _“Keith, I hope you get here soon. You’re the only hope any of us have to survive.”_

\---------------

Cockpit, Sincline Mech

His head bowed, Lotor contemplates the creation he’s just assembled. Looking up with a cold determination in his dark eyes, he makes his next move.

“This ends now.”

He launches Sincline towards the Paladin formation.

\---------------

Sincline Mech/Paladin Dogfight, Diabazaal

“Here he comes!”

The words are no sooner out of Pidge’s mouth than Lotor strikes. He swats Red with a vicious swipe from Sincline’s tail as he grabs the Yellow Lion and tosses him aside like a child’s toy.

Pidge and Allura swoop in for the attack, firing every weapon they have. Sincline avoids their fire with little effort on Lotor’s part.

“It’s way faster than us!”

She gets a taste of that speed as Sincline zips in and swats her aside.

\---------------

Castle of Lions

Forgotten for the moment in the excitement surrounding the formation of the Sincline mech, the Castle of Lions is finally under Coran’s control. Moving towards the battle, Coran and Krolia analyze what they are seeing from Sincline.

“Krolia, ready the weapons systems!”

“We don’t have much power. Probably just enough for one shot”

With the Paladins being battered by the Sincline mech, Coran knows they have no options. “Well, then let’s make it count.

Krolia lines up the shot. “Ready.”

“Fire!” Krolia slams her fist on the fire control button, launching a massive Ion beam at the Sincline mech.

Krolia’s aim is true. The Ion beam strikes Sincline just after it swats Allura away.

The Princess recovers in time to see the impact of the Ion beam. _“Coran, nice shot!”_

Taking the full force of the shot, Lotor groans loudly as he initiates countermeasures. Firing a powerful Ion beam of his own, he slowly and gradually repels the Ion beam fired from the Castle. Pushing the Ion beam off Sincline with his own, he succeeds in driving it back to the Castle of Lions itself.

The resulting impact of Lotor’s Ion beam on the Castle of Lions takes out their main Ion weapon. It also knocks a significant portion of their power grid offline.

Pidge, watching the sequence unfold, is dumbfounded. _“Impossible! Lotor’s weapon has completely repelled the Castle’s attack!”_

**The Eyes of the Lion**

Black Lion

Pushing the Black Lion as hard as he can to reach his fellow Paladins, a distraught Keith listens to them taking a pounding from Lotor.

_[Lance] “Coran, shoot it again!”_

_[Coran] “I can’t. That was our last shot.”_

_[Lance] “Pidge, get out of its line of sight!”_

_[Pidge] “He’s locked onto me. I’m taking heavy fire!_

_[Lance] “Get out of there! I’m coming in! Form jaw-blade!”_

_[Hunk] “Lance!”_

_[Allura] “We can’t take this much longer.”_

Compounding the issue, Keith heard Hunk’s comment about the Generals being ejected from their Sincline ships. He hangs his head and mentally beats himself up. Allura was right. His rash actions to rush through Haggar’s wormhole have put everyone he cares about in jeopardy.

“Black, I have to get to the Paladins. I need your help.”

He grips the controls of the Black Lion tightly. “Black…please.” He squeezes the controls until his knuckles turn white, and he lets out an anguished cry. PLEASE…HELP ME!”

The Dire Wolf, observing his pack leader’s torment, approaches him, places a paw on Keith’s arm, and closes his eyes.

\---------------

Regaining his vision following a blinding flash of light, Keith finds himself standing in a dark space, lit only by pinpoints of light that look like collections of stars and nebula.

“Where…where am I?”

“You are inside the consciousness of the Black Lion, pack leader.”

Shocked, Keith turns to see the Dire Wolf standing next to him.

“Keith, you can get to the Paladins, but to do that you must see them first.”

“But how?”

The Dire Wolf looks straight ahead. “See through the Lion’s eyes.”

“I…I don’t understand.”

“Dire Wolves have the transcendent ability to travel great distances. To travel great distances, we must see great distances in front of us. That is how we find the locations we travel to. That is how we arrive at the places we wish to reach. The Black Lion has the same transcendent capabilities. She was modeled by her creator to replicate the abilities of the Dire Wolves to travel in this manner.”

“How do you know that?”

“She told me.”

“Wait…you can speak to her?”

“Yes. And as her chosen Paladin, you can too. You just need to listen to her.”

“So, she can see the Paladins?”

“Yes. But for the Black Lion to use her transcendent abilities, her Paladin must see things through her eyes. Be patient. Focus on seeing what your Lion sees.”

Keith follows the gaze of the Dire Wolf. The space in front of them begins to glow with a bright yellow light. Concentrating, Keith hears the snarls of the Black Lion as he connects to her and begins to see things through her eyes.

What he sees is grim indeed.

Sincline is pounding the Paladins. Not by using its weapons, but through physical manhandling of the Lions.

“I see them.”

“Now, concentrate, pack leader. Tell your Lion to get you there now.”

Doing as he’s instructed, Keith focuses on reaching the Paladins. Looking ahead he sees the desperation on the faces of Lance and Pidge. He sees the exhaustion on the face of Hunk, and the despondency etched on the face of Allura.

“Come on, girl. We need to get to the Paladins now!”

Gripping the controls tighter than he ever has, he focuses his thoughts on arriving at the site of the battle.

The connection between Lion and Paladin as tightly bound as it’s ever been, Keith screams out his determination. Black roars its understanding in response to his scream. The wings of the Lion increase tenfold in size and her speed increases to well above hyper speed. Covering distances at a rate only achievable through wormhole travel, Black rapidly closes in on its Paladin’s desired destination.

\---------------

Sincline Mech/Paladin Dogfight, Diabazaal

The dogfight is over. The four Lions float helplessly in space, physically battered by the pounding inflicted by Sincline.

“It didn’t have to end like this, but you’ve made your choice.”

Lotor powers up his main weapon and prepares to strike the Lions. Unable to do anything about it, the four Paladins prepare to meet their fate.

Before he can fire, the proximity alarms sound throughout his cockpit. Looking up for the source, he sees a point of light rapidly growing larger.

Hurtling towards him at unimaginable speed is what appears to be the Black Lion. But it is a version of the Black Lion Lotor has never seen before, one with a massive wingspan.

Black rams Sincline’s torso, slamming into it with tremendous energy. The force of the impact causes the giant robot to tumble and Lotor to be tossed about roughly in the cockpit.

Keith circles Black around Sincline and takes a defensive position in front of his comrades. Settling into position, the giant wings of Black retract to their normal size.

Lance was never happier to see him.

“Keith, how did you get here so fast?”

Keith looks at the Dire Wolf and smiles. “I had some help. Now hurry. We don’t have much time.”

“ON ME! FORM VOLTRON!”

\---------------

Diabazaal

Regaining control of Sincline after the hard blow it took from the Black Lion, Lotor grunts and grimaces as he looks in front of him.

Before the ruins of Planet Diabazaal, the Sincline mech faces off against Voltron.

The first battle between the two giant mechs, both built from inter-reality comet ore, is about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A number of plot points were tied together in this chapter, such as Acxa recounting to Ezor and Zethrid the scheme she and Lotor ran to gain the trust of the Paladins, Kill Zarkon, and create Sincline. It also references the fact that Acxa is the true architect of the Sincline mech, and that Lotor added some tweaks to it that she never envisioned. 
> 
> I know some readers may be disappointed that I included Lotor's meltdown in this chapter. To them I say that we are not quite at the halfway point of this series, and a lot may happen. I'll also say that I am a sap when it comes to redemption arcs, so...with the reminder that this is an AU where I'm changing things around from canon, I would encourage you to hang in there.
> 
> I've always felt that there should be a bigger reason for bringing Kosmo into the story than what we got in canon. Having him become Keith's spirit animal, his spiritual guide in this circumstance, is something I've been planning since I started writing Return of the Prince. I want to call out and thank @Guyvantic_Guyver for providing the inspiration for this iteration of the Dire Wolf. 
> 
> One chapter, plus a short epilog, are left in this work. My personal thanks and gratitude to everyone who has read this work and this series to this point. A special shout out to those who've left their thoughts, comments, and constructive criticisms. The inbox is always open, and I would love to hear from you all.
> 
> Stay safe!


	18. Defender of All Universes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Voltron and Sincline square off in the battle that will decide the fate of all realities. But rather than being the end of the story, it is just the beginning of the confrontation between Voltron and Sincline, and of the relationship between the Black Paladin and the Galra Emperor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story follows canon flow, but with significant additional details.

**The Two Mechs**

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

In the space surrounding shattered Diabazaal, two giant mechs stare each other down.

Keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Sincline, Keith repositions the Castle of Lions. “Coran, stand by. Recharge as best you can. We’re going to need you.”

Recovered from his collision with the Black Lion, Lotor energizes one of Sincline’s many Ion weapons and fires a massive burst towards Voltron. Keith calls for shields, which Pidge deploys just before the powerful beam strikes them.

Straining against the force of the blast, Keith decides to go on the offensive.

“Hunk, form cannon.”

“You got it!”

The Yellow Paladin slams his Bayard into Yellow’s Bayard port, forming the giant shoulder cannon of Voltron. Keith fires, knowing he has a low probability of striking the speedy Sincline. And that is fine by him. At this point Keith is taking a page from Lotor’s book. He wants to study Lotor’s attack patterns so he can craft a defensive and offensive strategy against him.

Keith continues to fire as Sincline spins, dodges, and weaves to avoid the cannon fire from Voltron. Seeing the nimble Sincline stay well ahead of their shots, Lance cries out in frustration.

“He’s too fast!”

“Then we’ll have to get in close. Lance…Pidge…Form sword!”

Keith, Pidge, and Lance slam their Bayards into their respective Bayard ports, forming the giant sword that is Voltron’s deadliest weapon.

The two mechs settle into another staring contest. But only for a moment. Lotor chuckles as he decides that anything Keith can do, he can do better.

“Did you forget? You’re not the only one good with a sword, Keith. How about this!” He crosses his arms across his hips, left hand on right hip, right on left hip. With a flourish Lotor draws two long and deadly swords of his own.

Sincline immediately charges Voltron, closing the distance in a matter of three ticks. Swords lock as Sincline’s momentum pushes Voltron backwards.

“Now we will see how Alfor’s legacy stands against the new Altean defender.”

Sincline takes three powerful swings at Voltron, all of which are blocked. Sincline then lashes out and kicks Voltron with its right leg, throwing it backwards. Coming to a stop, Keith’s eyes widen as he sees Sincline charging and winding up for another powerful blow.

“Move!”

Voltron steps to the left a tick before the blade stroke comes down. Striking an asteroid instead of Voltron, Sincline’s sword slices off a large chunk of the giant rock.

Keith pulls back and searches for Sincline amid the rubble. At the last moment he spots his opponent coming up behind him. He raises Voltron’s sword in time to block three more successive sword strikes from Sincline. This time, rather than hit Voltron with a leg kick, Lotor spins Sincline and slams him with a tail whip.

Momentarily stunned by the force of the impact of the tail, Keith looks up in time to see Sincline closing rapidly, arm raised and ready to deliver a killing blow.

“SHIELD UP!”

Pidge raises the shield a tick before Sincline’s sword slams down on top of it. Straining against the force of the blow, Keith once again goes on the offensive.

“FORM SWORD!”

Pidge drops the shield as Keith re-forms the sword. This time Voltron is the aggressor and the two mechs lock swords once again.

As Sincline breaks contact, Lance fires Red’s Ion weapon. Lotor’s mech once again proves to be too fast for the fastest of the Lions, easily evading the beam. Lotor puts Sincline back on the offensive, crossing his swords and using them as a shield as he pushes Red’s Ion beam back towards Voltron.

Lance stops firing as Sincline closes the range and takes a swing at the head of Voltron. Keith ducks out of the way and uses Voltron’s sword to block a strike from Sincline’s second sword.

The swordfight between the two mechs continues. Strike, parry, counterstrike, parry. Lotor spins Sincline and once again slams Voltron with a quick snap of its tail. The Paladins are badly shaken as Voltron spirals backwards head-over-heels.

“We can’t touch him. He’s too fast!”

“We need to stop him moving around, back him into a corner or something.”

Keith is just as sick and tired of being slammed around as Pidge and Hunk are.

“Hunk is right. We have to eliminate his speed advantage. Limit his movements.”

Scanning the debris field searching for a space that would confine and reduce Sincline’s significant speed advantage, he quickly finds what he is looking for.

“There!”

The team moves towards a giant asteroid. Concave in shape, with long rock protrusions coming out of the outside edge of the concave surface, it is the perfect place to hem his opponent in.

“Now we lure him in close.”

To do just that, Keith makes it a point to show Lotor that he is moving into the debris field.

Lotor, now in a blind rage, takes the bait.

Voltron backs into the rear of the concave hollow of the asteroid, hovering just above its surface. Lotor pauses Sincline, unsure of Keith’s strategy. Sensing a trap, he does what Keith expected him to do. Opening the armor plates on the chest of the giant mech, he fires Sincline’s main weapon, a gigantic chest-mounted Ion cannon.

Pidge forms the shield as the gigantic blast streaks towards Voltron. Hitting the shield, it pushes Voltron onto the surface of the asteroid. Maintaining a steady Ion beam against Voltron with its main weapon, Sincline moves around to the side of the asteroid, looking to force any kind of movement from Voltron.

Lotor stops firing when he realizes Sincline’s weapon is having no effect on Voltron. Nor has it dislodged Voltron from the asteroid. He moves Sincline into the outer perimeter of the bowl to close the distance between the two mechs. But rather than close all the way, Lotor blasts away at the asteroid around Voltron, hoping to dislodge it from its temporary sanctuary.

Voltron doesn’t flinch.

Realizing Voltron is not moving, a frustrated and impatient Lotor finally makes his move.

Keith urges patience. “Wait for him…” While Sincline races in, his speed increasing by the tick, Keith speaks in a calming voice to the Paladins. “Let him build up speed.” Keith grips the controls of Black tightly, expecting to make a rapid movement with little warning.

Leading with a sword, Sincline rockets towards the Voltron’s position on the asteroid.

“NOW!”

Keith slides Voltron to the side and out of the bowl as Sincline smashes into the asteroid, sword first.

As the dust clears, Lotor is shocked to find that Voltron is nowhere to be seen. Turning, he finds Voltron moving into position behind him. Before Lotor can react, Keith hits Sincline with a pair of massive blasts from the Ion cannon of Red and Green. Pinned against the asteroid, Lotor has no choice but to absorb the blow.

It’s only a temporary setback. He has a surprise for the Paladins. Suspecting a trap when Keith moved Voltron into the concave bowl, he now employs the escape plan he hastily conceived.

Lotor engages the main thrusters of Sincline in a sudden and steady burst and puts pressure on the asteroid. Already weakened due to his earlier girdling of it with Sincline’s main weapon, he breaks through and escapes out the back of the concave bowl.

“Where’d he go?”

Pidge looks to their rear and sees Sincline emerging from the far side of the asteroid. “HE’S BEHIND US!”

“HUNK, HIT HIM WITH THE SHOULDER CANNON!”

“ON IT!”

Forming the shoulder cannon, Hunk fires a quick burst.

Lotor once again anticipates such a move. Grinning like a mad elf, he activates another console and quickly keys in two commands. As the beams from Voltron’s shoulder cannon streak in, Lotor smiles in anticipation.

Sincline vanishes as the Ion beams reach it.

The battlefield falls silent as the Paladins look on, dazed and confused. Lance is the first to shake off the cobwebs and he looks hopefully at Sincline’s last position.

“Did we get him?”

“I don’t know.” Hunk knows what the impact of the beams from the shoulder cannon on a target look like, and he didn’t see the distinctive signature of a target strike.

“I think we got him, Hunk!.”

“It looked like he just disappeared.” It’s the only explanation that makes sense to Pidge, because like Hunk she did not see the beams hit the target.

“Yeah, Pidge! We got him!” Lance remains a beacon of unbridled optimism, because he doesn’t want to think about having to continue the fight against Sincline.

Allura however simply doesn’t trust her eyes. “I’m not so sure.”

Keith looks to the left as a bright light suddenly erupts nearby. A speedier version of Sincline, bathed in a faint purple glow, roars out of the light and slams Voltron in the head with a fist. The blow sends Voltron hurtling away for some distance, before slamming back-first into an asteroid.

Coming to his senses after blacking out for a few ticks, Keith calls for status from his team.

“Is everyone ok?”

Hearing from everyone except the Green Paladin, he calls out to her again.

“Pidge?”

“I’m here. How is he moving so fast?”

“I’m not sure. We’ve gotta get up and attack!”

Keith slams the throttle forward and Voltron charges the glowing Sincline. Just as Voltron arrives and throws a fist of their own, Sincline vanishes once again. Stumbling about because of the inertia of a punch that didn’t land, the team looks back at where Sincline was supposed to be.

“Ok, so that time we definitely did _not_ get him.”

**The Nightmare Scenario**

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

Another bright flash of light erupts and Sincline leaps out from the middle of it. Keith moves Voltron away quickly and assumes a defensive posture. But Sincline does not charge. It vanishes once again.

A tick later it reappears from a burst of light behind Voltron, slams it with both fists, then disappears. Spinning out of control from the hit, Voltron is rocked again when Sincline reappears to intercept it and slams it hard with another punch.

Lotor proceeds to play a perverse game of ping pong, with Voltron as the ball and Sincline playing both ends of the table. Sincline appears, slams Voltron, disappears, reappears, slams Voltron, disappears, reappears, and slams Voltron. It is a brutal, repetitive sequence.

Voltron takes five successive blows from Sincline before Lotor backs off and stops his attacks for the moment. That Voltron survives the onslaught intact is a credit to the engineering genius of King Alfor.

It is a credit to the physical endurance of the Paladins that _they_ survive the punishment. Hunk, like the others, struggles to understand how Lotor is doing what he is doing. “How can he just disappear like that?”

A sinking feeling, with an effect similar to that of a two-ton lead weight on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean settles over Allura. “He’s…entering the Quintessence field at will.”

“Didn’t we blow up the gate?”

“We did, Hunk. How is he entering without it?”

Allura’s next words to Pidge drive home the seriousness of the situation. For Allura it is her nightmare scenario.

“Because I gave his ships the ability.”

Their brief pause is interrupted when Sincline bursts from the Quintessence field once again and slams Voltron one more time.

Already triggered by Allura’s earlier words comparing him to Zarkon, Lotor is now becoming corrupted through repeated exposure to the Quintessence field. Wild-eyed and unhinged, he cackles a threat to the Paladins. “Unlimited power is mine. All realities will fall to the new Altean Empire!

Lotor energizes the main weapon on Sincline. Raising their shield, Voltron is hurled backwards by the force of the blast at increasing speed as the Paladins barely deflect it. Lotor pours it on Voltron with a continuous Ion blast. Eventually the force of the beam shatters the shield and Voltron is nailed by the full concussive force of the Ion blast.

\---------------

Voltron floats like a derelict ship in space, the Paladins stunned into a temporary state of helplessness. Inside Sincline, Lotor pants heavily as he catches his breath from the exertion of the battle against Voltron. Sincline also pants, in its own way. Energy level alarms sound as the power within the giant mech fall below the minimum required threshold. The Ion blast that disabled Voltron pulled enormous amounts of energy from Sincline, and it is operating at reduced capacity.

Looking to recharge, Lotor takes Sincline back into the Quintessence field.

\---------------

His head pounding, his body aching, Keith watches Lotor disappear. Refusing to quit, he makes a decision that changes the course of the next four decaphoebs.

“We have to go in after him. Getting power from the Quintessence field is the only way we can match his strength.”

“Pidge, can we do that?”

“If he can do it Hunk, Voltron can. Can’t we, Allura?”

“My father did it once before, but it’s extremely dangerous.

“Do we have a choice?”

“No Lance, we don’t.” Keith makes a plea to Allura for help. “We need your help, Allura. We have to try.”

“I may be able to guide us in, but I’ll need you all to focus your energy.”

The five Paladins close their eyes, focusing every ounce of energy that remains in their bodies on entering the Quintessence field. Tied together as one through the collective consciousness of Voltron, Allura succeeds in seeing things through the eyes of Voltron. Much as Keith did when he saw through the eyes of the Black Lion.

Using the sight of Voltron, Allura searches the space around them for evidence of inter-reality rifts. These are the tears in the fabric of the barrier that separate their reality from the Quintessence field. It is not long before she finds what she is looking for.

Now in control of Voltron, Allura issues a command in preparation for entering the Quintessence field. “Form sword.”

This sword formed by Voltron is not the one used by this crop of Paladins. Rather, it is the sword used by the original Paladins of Voltron. The one preferred by the first Black Paladin.

The Blazing Sword.

Moving Voltron forward at full speed, Allura leads with the sword as they approach one of the inter-reality rifts. Reaching the rift, she uses the sword to widen it sufficiently to allow Voltron to pass through.

In a flash of light, Voltron enters the Quintessence Field.

\---------------

Debris Field Surrounding Planet Diabazaal

Observing the battle from the meteoroid on which they are sheltering and still recovering from the shock of being ejected out of their Sincline fighters, Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor are left numb and speechless as they watch the two giant mechs clash.

Acxa separates herself from Zethrid and Ezor, watching the battle closely with obvious concern. For her, this quintant started poorly and rapidly degenerated from bad to worse. She watches in horror as Sincline, the giant mech she conceived and built, piloted by someone she once admired and respected, battles Voltron, which is led by the one man in the entire universe that she truly cares about.

For Acxa, this is _her_ nightmare scenario. And it is about to get even worse.

Staring out into space she sees Sincline vanish, followed two doboshes later by Voltron. She falls to her knees, an expression of abject disbelief, guilt, and loss painted across her face. Her confidence is shattered as she stands by helplessly and watches events unfold.

_“Supreme Spirit please, no!”_

She hangs her head, overcome with grief.

As the tears stream down her face, she looks back out into space, where Voltron vanished.

_“This is all my fault. Keith…I am so sorry…wherever you are…please forgive me.”_

**Battle of the Quintessence Field**

The Quintessence Field

The Paladins awaken from the collective consciousness of Voltron and find themselves surrounded by a field of bright white light, with the luminescent properties of a thick cloud bank on a bright day. The field of white is accented by glowing motes of Quintessence. The scene is exactly how Allura remembers it from her first experience in the Quintessence field.

Like the other Paladins, Lance is overcome by the sight of the Quintessence field.

“Whoa.”

Peering through the haze of the Quintessence field, Keith spots their target off in the distance, slowly moving towards them. In preparation for battle, Allura transfers operational control of Voltron back to Keith.

Lotor smiles to himself as Sincline approaches Voltron. “I underestimated you Princess.”

The two mechs close the distance between them and clash in the Quintessence field. With Quintessence flowing through both of them, they fight at an incredible speed and power level. Strike and counterstrike, punch and counterpunch, in the level playing field of the Quintessence field the two opponents are evenly matched. Both mechs take shots that under normal circumstances would have incapacitated them.

But these are not normal circumstances.

In one exchange, Voltron takes two major hits, one to the head, the other to the torso. Unfazed, the Paladins shake it off and continue the fight.

Pidge feels her adrenaline levels, and her aggression, begin to spike. “We took a major shot, but I feel fine!”

Hunk monitors the power readings of Voltron and is amazed at what he finds. “All this quintessence is keeping us at full power.”

“It’s more than that. Can you hear your Lions talking to you? Guiding you on what to do? Voltron is capable of more than we ever imagined.”

Energized like never before, his reflexes sharper than ever, Keith reacts to the speed of Sincline and is pleasantly surprised when Voltron reacts with similar speed. Voltron’s renewed speed and the power of its Ion ray beams are more than Lotor was expecting. Too late, the Emperor realizes he is in a fight he could very well lose.

Lotor quickly puts that thought out of his mind. If anyone is going to lose this fight, it’s Voltron.

The Paladins feel the Quintessence flowing through them. Energized, their aggressive tendencies magnified tenfold, they are more than willing to fight. Keith’s aggressive Galra tendencies come to the fore as he leads his team into battle.

“ATTACK!”

Screaming in unison, the Paladins throw themselves into the fight.

Sincline and Voltron close the distance between them once again and launch into a gigantic swordfight. Punches and sword strikes are exchanged as the two combatants streak through the Quintessence field. After each series of strikes, they separate then race back together to batter one another again.

This sequence seems to drag on forever, but in real time only two doboshes pass.

Separating after one final flurry, Keith unveils a new weapon suggested to him by the Black Lion. Taking aim at his target, powerful twin ion beams erupt from the eyes of Voltron as Sincline once again tries to close the distance between them.

Surprised by Keith’s move, Lotor halts Sincline’s forward progress and retreats. This time Sincline Is barely able to outrun Voltron’s Ion beams.

The Quintessence not only energizes and reenergizes Paladin and Lion, it brings out the worst aggressive tendencies of each of the Paladins and their Lions. They yell and cry out like wild animals as the engage their weapon systems against Lotor.

“See if you can dodge this!” Pidge feels a rage she has never experienced before and is unable to control herself. Hate seeps through every pore of her body as she executes a maneuver suggested by the Green Lion.

She extends the arm of Voltron formed by the Green Lion forward. From the mouth of the Lion a giant version of the whip, her signature Bayard weapon, emerges. The whip quickly circles around Lotor, who at the last minute realizes she is trying to lasso him.

Sincline barely escapes the trap before Pidge closes it.

Lance is just as fired up, as is his Lion. “Come and get some!”

Having just escaped Pidge’s trap, Lotor is unprepared for the Red Paladin’s attack.

Lance fires an Ion beam from the jaws of Red, but it is magnified by a power of ten. The beam strikes Sincline directly on the breastplate, knocking it backwards and stunning Lotor for a moment. Bolts of quintessence sparked by the strike of the Ion beam fly through the cockpit of Sincline as the giant mech tumbles from the blast.

In the Blue Lion, an enraged Allura struggles to catch her breath. Passion burning behind her eyes, her rage masking her countenance, her adrenaline courses through her body at an elevated pace. But with the pause in combat caused by the strike of Lance’s Ion beam on Sincline, her head begins to clear, and she begins to think rationally for the first time since entering the Quintessence field.

Over the Paladins internal communications link, she hears the rage in her teammates voices.

_[Pidge:] “Let’s end this!”_

_[Lance:] “Let’s finish this!”_

_[Hunk:] “Let’s destroy this guy!”_

She shakes her head to clear it as the passion and rage behind her eyes abates and gives way to concern. The people she hears on the intercom sound like her fellow Paladins, but they are versions of the Paladins she’s never seen or heard before.

And then it hits her. The reason for their behavior.

Quintessence poisoning.

She’s heard of its effects on people before, from her father, and she knows there is only one cure for it.

“Paladins - we have to get out of here!”

Keith can’t believe what he just heard. “What are you talking about? We’ve got this guy on the run. We can finish this!”

Allura gives Keith a hard, verbal slap across the face. “Keith, listen to yourself! What happened to the rational Keith who came with us into the Quintessence field? This is exactly what happened to Zarkon. Exposure to all this Quintessence turned him into a monster.”

\---------------

As if to emphasize Allura’s words, Lotor removes his helmet. His expression is crazed, eyes wide with rage, an evil sounding laughter coming out of him. He’s heard every word she’s said, and he taunts her with them.

“Poor Allura! All the power in the universe at your fingertips and you still fear using it!”

Laughing maniacally, suffering from severe Quintessence poisoning, Lotor launches another head-on attack against Voltron.

\---------------

Lance sees Lotor approaching, as do the other Paladins. But after listening to Allura’s verbal smackdown of Keith, their heads begin to clear as well.

“Allura’s right. We’re out of control!”

Pidge frantically checks the energy readings of Voltron and doesn’t like what she sees. “All our systems are overloaded.”

Keith refocuses everyone on the clear and present danger they all face. “Here comes Sincline.”

Lotor charges directly at them. Looking to buy time while he figures out what to do, Keith and the Paladins lead him on a merry chase through the Quintessence field.

“How do we stop this?” Hunk knows that with the Quintessence field recharging everything and everyone, the battle between Voltron and Sincline could go on forever.

Allura takes a deep breath. Speaking slowly and emphatically, she gives Hunk the answer. “We give Lotor all the power he wants. Keith, give me control of Voltron for a tick.”

In control of Voltron once again, Allura suddenly throws it into reverse. Surprised by the move, Lotor flies past Voltron. Sincline stops, turns, and faces Voltron, as Lotor tries to figure out what the Paladins are doing.

Allura has the separation she needs from Sincline to put her plan into motion. The first step is to retract the sword of Voltron.

Allura closes her eyes and focuses her energy on her next task. As Sincline races in to attack, the V-shaped chest plate on Voltron begins to glow brightly.

Drawing power from the Quintessence field and the overflowing energy reserves of Voltron, Allura launches a massive energy blast from the chest plate of Voltron.

The blast strikes Sincline head on.

Mad with rage, suffering the effects of Quintessence poisoning, and determined to end Voltron, Lotor tries to power Sincline through the blast to get to his foe. He crosses Sincline’s swords in front of him to ward off the beam, and he makes some forward progress. But then Sincline is overcome by the force of the blast, tumbling backwards and away from Voltron.

Recovering, Lotor charges Sincline ahead once again. After making some forward progress, he is driven back once more; this time Sincline loses both of its swords. His hair wildly askew, his countenance a twisted caricature of his former self, Lotor screams out in his madness and throws Sincline towards Voltron for a third time.

Sincline pushes its way through the beam and gets closer to Voltron than it did in its first two attempts, but at a tremendous price. It absorbs tremendous amounts of energy, more than its design specifications allow for. Energy overload alarms begin to sound within Sincline’s cockpit.

As the other Paladins look on, Allura continues her onslaught against Lotor. She uses Voltron as an energy conduit, transferring power from Voltron and the Quintessence Field, to Lotor. Bolts of energy rip through the cockpits of the Lions and through the cockpit of Sincline. Lotor continues to cry out in his madness as he pushes Sincline ever closer to Voltron.

But the closer he gets, the more intense the energy pulse becomes, and the more energy Sincline absorbs. Lotor gets close enough to touch the chest plate of King Alfor’s mech.

That is all it takes for the battle to end.

Sincline becomes overloaded to the point it can no longer contain the power it takes in. Energy bolts rip through not only the cockpit, but the body of Lotor as well. Screaming out in a final fit of agony and pain, Lotor and Sincline are driven back away from Voltron in a final explosive burst of energy.

The giant mech, designed by Acxa, built by Lotor, and endowed by Allura with Altean alchemic properties, now floats helplessly, a derelict in the Quintessence field. Lotor, its pilot, is no longer conscious and is powerless to control it.

They are the latest victims of the effects of the Quintessence field.

\---------------

As his sight clears following the intense wave of light from the massive energy burst, Keith looks out at the helpless Sincline mech.

“Let’s grab Lotor and get out of here.”

Pidge sees and hears warning signs from Voltron that to her require immediate attention. “No. We can’t. We have to leave now!”

Allura refuses to leave. Forcing herself to fight off the effects of the Quintessence poisoning, she begins to experience extreme regret over what is happening. The realization sinks in that her actions led the Paladins and Lotor to this point. She begins to wonder if this whole situation was avoidable.

“We must try!”

Hunk gets the same readings as Pidge on his monitors, and he doesn’t like what he is seeing. “Pidge is right. We stay here much longer, and Voltron is done for.”

To emphasize Hunk’s point, Voltron is rocked by massive energy waves from the Quintessence field.

Lance, never a fan of Lotor, is not eager to risk their lives to rescue him. “Allura, we have to go now.”

Keith doesn’t like the thought of just leaving him here, and he challenges the Red Paladin. “Lance, we can’t just leave him. He is the Emperor of the Galra Empire.”

Keith is not prepared for Lance’s pushback.

“Keith, he’s also crazier than a bedbug. You’ve seen him in action, you’ve heard him. Does he sound like a rational person to you?”

“No, but we’re responsible for him being here!”

“No, Keith, Lotor is responsible for him being here! You and I didn’t tell him to go into the Quintessence field. Neither did Allura, Hunk, or Pidge. _He_ is responsible for putting himself here!”

“This isn’t right. It’s…wrong to just leave him.”

“You’re the leader of Voltron Keith. You get to make the tough decisions. Make one!”

Keith slumps back into the chair of the Black Lion, feeling defeated and emotionally drained.

“Lotor’s made his choice. Let’s get out of here, Allura.”

\---------------

Keith feels alone, defeated, and exhausted. When he arrived at the Castle of Lions with Romelle and Krolia, he had what he considered to be a sound plan for dealing with Lotor and getting to the bottom of the mystery surrounding the second Altean colony. Now, as he prepares to depart the Quintessence field, he sees that plan shattered, and the mystery unsolved.

Allura completes her departure preparations, wracked by guilt over her actions that led to the just completed fight against Lotor. She also wrestles with her own personal feelings towards the Galra Emperor. A man she fell in love with.

A man she is still in love with.

Feeling just as defeated as Keith, Allura concentrates on finding the rift they used to enter the Quintessence field. Finding it, she guides Voltron out into their own reality.

The final view any of the Paladins have of Lotor is that of Sincline fading off into the distance.

**Torn Fabric**

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

Emerging from the tear in inter-reality barrier, Voltron turns to face it. Allura relinquishes control of the giant mech to Keith.

“If we’d stayed in the Quintessence field, we would’ve kept fighting until we destroyed ourselves.” Allura takes a deep breath, downcast and despondent at this point. “Just like Lotor.”

Keith, still not sure exactly what happened in the Quintessence field at the end of the battle, contacts Allura on Voltron’s command link. “What did you do in there?”

Allura slumps back into her pilot’s seat. “I transferred the excess power from Voltron to Sincline. It’s a technique I learned on Oriande.” Allura pauses to reflect for a moment. “Oriande. I would never have found it or gone there if not for Lotor.”

“Thank you Allura. You saved us.”

Hunk echoes Lance’s sentiment. “Not just us. The entire universe.”

\---------------

Debris Field Surrounding Planet Diabazaal

The bright flash of light catches the eye of Ezor. Squinting against the light, she peers out into space. As her gaze settles on the object emerging from the glowing tear in the inter-reality barrier, and her eyes widen with recognition.

“Hey, Acxa! The rift…Voltron’s back!”

Acxa stands ramrod straight, pivots, and looks to the place Ezor points to. A broad smile crosses her face as her heart leaps with joy. She mumbles, _“He’s back! Supreme Spirit, thank you!”_

Acxa calls out to Ezor as she approaches her, _“Do you see Sincline?”_

“No. It hasn’t come out.”

Zethrid turns to Acxa. “Do you think the fight is over?”

Acxa carefully studies the movement of Voltron for a dobosh and detects a lack of urgency in their actions. _“Judging by the way they are moving…they don’t seem concerned about being attacked. Yes, the fight is over.”_

“So, what do we do?”

_“Do you want to stay on this rock forever, Zethrid? We get their attention and surrender. We’ll sort the rest of it out later.”_

“Aren’t you concerned about what they will do to us?”

Acxa smiles to herself, but outwardly keeps a straight face. Containing her enthusiasm over Keith’s return she says, _“No Ezor, I’m not. It will be fine. They’ll treat us fairly.”_

\---------------

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

The team looks back at the battlefield and the rift they just emerged from. Multiple tears in the fabric of the inter-reality barrier are visible as Coran pulls the Castle of Lions alongside them.

“Oh, you’re back!”

“It was touch and go for a while Coran.”

Keith is exhausted. In less than a quintant he’s come back from the Quantum Abyss with Romelle, Krolia and the Dire Wolf; confronted Lotor over the second Altean colony; fought Acxa in not one but two dogfights and lost them both; raced back to Diabazaal using the transcendent ability of the Black Lion; and fought Sincline, winning that battle thanks to Allura’s quick thinking.

“Lotor is no longer a threat.”

Coran’s reply to Keith is ominous. “Right. I’m afraid we face a bigger threat now.”

Coran gazes at an image on the main screen, showing all the rips in the fabric of the inter-reality barrier. “All of Lotor’s jumping in and out of the Quintessence field has created multiple growing rifts in the fabric of time and space.”

Lance doesn’t like the sound of that but isn’t quite sure what Coran is saying. “What does that mean?”

Pidge translates Coran’s statement into plan language for all of them. “It means unless we do something fast, those tears will continue to expand until all of existence as we know it is destroyed.”

“There has to be something we can do. Pidge, Hunk, can you guys find any options?”

Pidge jumps right on it. “Scanning the rift for any strand refabrication possibilities.”

Hunk leaps in right behind her. “Running a few models now to see if there’s any chance it can close on its own.”

\---------------

It doesn’t take long for their scans and research to turn up empty.

“Nothing.”

“Nope. Me neither”

“How long do we have, Coran?”

“Well Keith, based on the way those rifts are expanding, about 15 doboshes.”

Lance, always one with abiding faith in Allura’s abilities as an Altean alchemist, turns to her for answers. “Allura, you have to have a way to close it. Voltron opened it up, maybe we can…I don’t know. There’s gotta be a way!”

Allura’s frustrations show through. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t possess that level of alchemic knowledge.”

Pidge does find one answer. The problem is, it’s not practical. “The only thing that could possibly pull that rift closed would be a source of gravity more powerful than a supermassive black hole.”

Lance replies somewhat sarcastically, “Any chance we could find one and tow it over here in 15 doboshes?”

Listening closely to the conversation, Coran realizes that Pidge’s solution is practical after all. But it comes with a terrible price.

“Wait a tick. The Teleduv.”

“What about it?”

“It’s simple, Keith. To make wormhole jumps, the Teleduv creates a brief flash of infinite mass. There might be a way I can overload the Teleduv reactor and seal the rift.”

He stares at the screen showing the widening rifts in the inter-reality barrier. “If the Teleduv went off in the rifts, it could do the job.”

Hunk is horrified. He knows the price that must be paid to pull it off, and he can barely get the words out of his mouth to express his thought. “But that would mean sacrificing the Castle of Lions.”

“But what choice do we have? The Castle of Lions will be wiped out with the rest of us if we do nothing.”

“But still, Pidge…it’s been our home.”

Coran takes a deep breath and exhales slowly and sadly. “Oh, I hate to say goodbye to my grandfather’s creation, the last piece of the real Altea.”

Allura, no longer feeling sorry for herself, snaps the team out of its funk. It is a high price to pay, but it is one they must pay.

Determined, she calls out the necessary orders. “Coran begin preparations. Everyone else, start unloading the Castle. We need to evacuate immediately.”

\---------------

The Castle of Lions

The Lions separate and return to the Castle. The race to offload as many supplies and pieces of equipment from the Castle of Lions begins in earnest.

The scene is frenetic as the team frantically pulls equipment and supplies out of the Castle and into the Lions. Pidge and Lance work together to pull equipment from the science lab. Romelle and Coran work on getting the Teleduv ready for the explosion that must be set to close the rifts.

Krolia and the Dire Wolf take the lead in moving materiel to the Lions. Krolia designates a central loading point to which the Paladins drop off items to go into the Lions. Using his transcendent abilities, the Dire Wolf rapidly moves equipment and supplies to the appropriate Lions. Krolia coordinates loading activities, directing both the Paladins and the Dire Wolf in the completion of that task.

Pidge cleans out her messy room, leaving behind more than she would like.

As Allura cleans out her room, she finds the holographic image of her mother and father on their wedding day. Pausing momentarily to reminisce about her parents, she gently scoops it up and brings it along with her.

There are some things the Dire Wolf simply refuses to move. Kaltenecker is one of them. Lance struggles to load the stubborn cow onto the Red Lion, eventually getting it loaded after bribing it with her favorite food.

Speaking of food, Hunk handles the loading of food supplies into the Yellow Lion for the group.

Incredibly, the team is ready to go in 10 doboshes. The Paladins board their Lions and distribute the passengers. Romelle enters the Blue Lion with Allura and the mice. Kaltenecker rides in the Red Lion with Lance. The Dire Wolf is in Black along with Krolia and Keith.

Placing her hand on her son’s shoulder, Krolia gives it a gentle squeeze. “You did the best you could under the circumstances, son. I’m proud of you.”

Keith places his hand over hers and gives it a gentle squeeze in return as he looks up to her. “Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that right about now.”

Coran gives the Bridge of the Castle of Lions a final inspection. Rubbing his hand across his tactical station, he says sadly, “Goodbye, old friend.”

He sets the autopilot and begins the sequence to overload the Teleduv. Once he joins Allura in the Blue lion, the Paladins leave the Castle.

\---------------

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

The rift by this time has grown exponentially, glowing bright white, absorbing all the smaller rifts opened by Lotor. The Teleduv reaches critical mass as the Castle of Lions approaches the rift. Coran places his hand reassuringly on Allura’s shoulder. She puts her left hand over his, and they share a sad look.

The Castle of Lions flies into the rift, and the Teleduv explodes a few ticks later. The engineering section, Coran’s home-away-from-home, is swallowed by the fireball of the blast. As are the Paladins Lounge; the Bridge; the Hangar Bay; the Grand Reception Hall with the banner of Altea still hanging proudly in its proper place; and the rest of the Castle of Lions.

The explosion of the Castle of Lions forces the creation of a supermassive black hole within the rift. A massive shaft of white light shoots out from the center of the rift, marking the creation of the black hole. The shaft of light shoots past the Paladins, its brightness blinding them. After a tick, the rift collapses in on itself, pulled together by the gravity of the supermassive black hole, and the white light vanishes. Three ticks later, the space around them is rocked by a massive explosion. The force of the explosion slams into the Lions, knocking them aside as if they were mere toys kicked by a child.

As the light from the explosion subsides, the rift in the inter-reality barrier seals itself shut.

Space grows quiet as the Lions turn to face where the rift once hung like an angry scar on the universe.

Hunk is ecstatic. “It worked!”

Allura looks up at her mentor. “You did it, Coran.” Coran in turn looks at her sadly, like he’s just lost his best friend.

\---------------

Debris Field Surrounding Planet Diabazaal

The bright flash of light temporarily blinds them, and the subsequent explosion jars their meteoroid. Acxa, Zethrid, and Ezor cling to the rock for dear life as the massive shock wave hits them.

“ACXA WHAT JUST HAPPENED?”

_“I DON’T KNOW!”_

The shockwave of the explosion passes, as does their temporary blindness. The Generals gaze out into space, looking in the direction from which the explosion came.

Nothing is visible. Voltron is gone, as is the Castle of Lions.

“Hey, where did everyone go?”

Zethrid scans the skies and sees no sign of movement. “I wonder what blew up. There is no debris anywhere.”

Acxa staggers behind a rocky protrusion and falls to her knees. _“No, no, dammit no, this isn’t happening!”_ Emotionally distraught, she pounds her fists against the rocks as she hyperventilates and struggles to breathe.

Ezor comes around the protrusion and puts her hand on Acxa’s shoulder. “Hey, are you ok?”

Acxa slows her breathing and nods her head in reply. _“I’ll be fine. I just got…a little dizzy. Probably from the explosion.”_

She stands and as she looks Ezor in the eye her blood runs cold. It is clear from the look in Ezor’s eyes that she is not buying Acxa’s excuse.

“You always were a bad liar, Acxa. Come on. We need to figure out how to get off this rock.”

**The Road Home**

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

In the blackness of space, something catches Hunk’s eye. “Look!” A small bright glowing object rushes past them. Hunk moves ahead of the group to investigate.

“What is it, Hunk?”

“It’s a…diamond. The pressure from the black hole crushed the Castle of Lions into this little diamond.”

Hunk secures the diamond. When they finally touch down somewhere, he plans on presenting it to Coran. If anyone deserves this diamond, it is the senior member of the group.

The team looks on, satisfied that they’ve staved off the destruction of the universe.

Lance reflects on what they’ve just accomplished. “Well, we saved all realities everywhere. What do you guys want to do now?”

Keith looks up at Krolia. “We need to find some place to land and regroup. Any ideas?”

Krolia pulls up a star chart and finds a likely candidate. “The Dalterian Belt is not far away. Planet Ritorsis is the closest and most logical candidate. It’s got an atmosphere and running water. We can set down and regroup.”

\---------------

Planet Ritorsis

The five Lions of Voltron sit in a circle on the edge of an impact crater on Planet Ritorsis. Within the circle, the team gathers to regroup and take stock of their situation.

Hunk looks to Keith and asks the burning question on everyone’s mind. “What are we gonna do? The Castle is destroyed.”

Pidge smiles and looks at the big man. “There’s only one place that has the plans necessary to build a replacement for the Castle of Lions. Coran gave them to my Dad.”

Keith stands and looks over his shoulder out into space.

“That settles it then. We’re going home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sets up most of the continuation of The Galra Chronicles in the next work, Rejected by the Galra. I say most, because the final setup point follows in Chapter 19 of this work. 
> 
> The subsection titled "Nightmare Scenario" is just that for two of the female leads in this series. Both of these ladies (Allura and Acxa) suffer broken hearts by the end of the chapter. But they are tough and resilient.
> 
> If you have read this work this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> If you are a fan of Lotor, do not despair. This isn't the last you've seen of him, and the continuation of his story in this series is definitely canon DIVERGENT.


	19. Epilog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the bridge chapter that flows into Rejected by the Galra, the third work in the Galra Chronicles series. It is also a bridge to a future work, The Voltron Coalition. First chapters of that will be posted in mid-2021.
> 
> This chapter is canon divergent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter to tie up two loose ends and answer two specific questions.
> 
> 1\. Did the Generals get off that rock?
> 
> 2\. Is this the last we've seen of Lotor?
> 
> NOTE: 14 AUGUST 2020: This chapter was updated to add additional background on Lotor and Haggar, to set up the next work in the series, 'Rejected by the Galra'

**Rumors**

Honerva’s Battleship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Two quintants following the battle between Lotor and Sincline, Honerva begins to hear rumors of a large-scale battle between Voltron and a giant tailed mech called Sincline. According to these rumors, both Voltron and Sincline vanished in a massive explosion. Honerva knows through her spying that her son was building a mech called Sincline and fears he was piloting the ill-fated robot.

Pulling her hood over her head Honerva assumes her alter ego, Haggar, and opens a communications line to one of her trusted commanders. She is going to get Lotor back.

“Commander Mar, the Emperor has been taken. The Voltron Paladins have betrayed him. Track him down and return him to me!”

“Vrepit Sa!”

**The Warlords**

Bridge of Commander Mar’s Cruiser, The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

A lone Galra cruiser picks its way through the rubble surrounding Diabazaal.

“Commander Mar, we are picking up life signs on one of the meteoroids in the debris field.”

“How many, Lieutenant Fentriss?”

“Three, sir. Shall we bring them aboard?”

“Yes. And be ready for anything.”

\---------------

Two vargas later, the scene on the Bridge is quite different.

“Be grateful we’re setting you down on a meteoroid and not shooting you out into space. You can thank Acxa for that. Don’t worry, someone will come looking for you…eventually.”

Commander Mar is livid. Shortly after bringing the Generals on board, in a coordinated action they seized control of the Bridge and made moves against Engineering. His ship is being hijacked.

“You call yourself a General? You’re nothing more than a back-stabbing half-breed pirate!”

Zethrid goes nose to nose with Commander Mar. “No, Commander. I don’t call myself a General. Not anymore. You may refer to me as Warlord Zethrid. Although pirate has a nice ring to it as well.”

Ezor, holding a blaster pistol on the First Officer, gives her a choice. “You want to take your chances with him, Fentriss? Or do you want to help us carve out a piece of the old Empire for ourselves?”

Fentriss gives her a smirk. “I’m a very pragmatic person, Warlord Ezor. I can be…reasonable.”

Ezor holsters her pistol with a flourish. “I thought you would see things our way.”

Zethrid calls down to the Engine Room. “Acxa, how are things there?”

Acxa responds immediately. _“Engineering is secure. We have full control of all ships systems and our control over the sentry droids is now locked down.”_

Ezor can’t help but detect an undertone in her voice that leads her to believe Acxa may not be entirely on board with their scheme.

“Excellent. Join us on the Bridge.”

_“I’ll…be up shortly. I just need to finish a few things here.”_

Now confident in her control of the sentry droids, Zethrid issues orders to leave Commander Mar on the meteoroid they themselves were marooned on. As the sentry droids lead Commander Mar away, she turns to Ezor, a huge grin on her face. “Things are beginning to fall into place. Ezor. We are destined for greatness!”

“Finally!” Ezor pulls Zethrid out of earshot of the others on the Bridge. “Although we need to keep an eye on Acxa. I’m not so sure about her. I don’t think she’s into this whole Warlord thing.”

Zethrid grits her teeth and draws a deep breath. Acxa was the first person to treat her like a friend so many decaphoebs ago. In many ways she considers the slender Corillian half-breed her sister. Zethrid has a strong sense of loyalty, and she wants to give Acxa the benefit of the doubt. But there _is_ something different about her old friend that disturbs her. She just can’t quite put her finger on it.

“So I’ve noticed, Ezor. So I’ve noticed.”

\---------------

**Return to Diabazaal**

Honerva’s Battleship, Fire of Purification Fleet

Several quintants after dispatching Commander Mar on his search for Emperor Lotor, Honerva enters a meditative trance-like state, searching the stars for any sign of her son. In her trance she repeatedly returns to the ruins of Diabazaal, but she is not sure why. The effort is exhausting, and she soon exits the trance, falling to her knees. Struggling to catch her breath and doing her best to contemplate the meaning of what she’s just seen, her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door to her sanctuary.

Pulling her hood over her head and assuming her identity as Haggar, she turns to see that the person who interrupted her is Macidus, chief among the Druids. “Have you any word from Commander Mar?”

“Nothing, High Priestess. Communication with Commander Mar has been lost.”

“What of Emperor Lotor’s whereabouts?”

“Still unknown.”

As Macidus departs, Honerva decides that a trip to Diabazaal is in order.

\---------------

The Ruins of Planet Diabazaal

Quintants later, as she approaches the ruined planet, she is horrified to see the remains of Lotor’s cruiser. Some time ago, when she was spying on Lotor through the psychic link she forced on Narti, she tracked him to this location and a battle ensued between her forces and Lotor’s. During that battle, Lotor killed Narti, one of his four trusted Generals, because he deduced that she was the one that Haggar used to spy on him. The events of that quintant started a chain reaction that led to distrust between his Generals and himself, and the ultimate battle with Voltron in the Quintessence field.

Honerva closes her eyes and reaches back into the recesses of her memory, dredging up memories from long ago that she repressed because they were too painful to remember.

Determined to face down these demons from her past, Honerva flashes back to a previous time, just before and after she and her husband Zarkon were corrupted by Dark Entities from the Quintessence field.

**Royal Conception (Flashback)**

_ Honerva’s Science Lab, Diabazaal _

_It is 10,000 decaphoebs in the past. In the science lab on Diabazaal where Honerva and other scientists are performing research on Quintessence through the rift created by the trans-reality comet that struck the planet decaphoebs before, she shows her husband something important on her computer monitor. It is the result of the ultrasound test she recently completed on herself._

_Looking at the screen, Zarkon is puzzled. “I don’t see anything.”_

_Realizing her husband needs some additional hints, Honerva takes his right hand and places it on her abdomen. Looking at her with surprise, it finally dawns on him what she’s trying to get across. “Can it be true? I am to be a father?”_

_“Yes.”_

_His heart bursts with love for his wife. “And you, my queen…will be the mother to the heir of the Galra throne.”_

_“Yes. There is much to do. First, we must continue to harvest the Quintessence. It will be needed for your son’s empire.”_

_“He will be the best of both our people.”_

\---------------

**What's in a Name? (Flashback)**

_ Zarkon and Honerva’s Private Chambers, Royal Palace, Diabazaal _

_Zarkon and Honerva share a quiet moment in their private chambers, Kova at her side. Kneeling before his wife, he has an important question for her. “What shall we name the boy?”_

_“I was thinking a name that has deep Altean history. Lotarious.”_

_“Lotarious?” The name seems odd to Zarkon, and he gives his wife a confused look._

_“He was one of the ancient Alteans believed to have established much of the foundation of the engineering that built our world.”_

_“Interesting. I was considering a name from mythology. Kaltor. But he did not build the worlds, he conquered them.”_

_“Perhaps we can honor both traditions.”_

**Haggar Rising (Flashback)**

_ Galra Empire Flagship, Following the Destruction of Diabazaal _

_On board the Galra Empire flagship, the bodies of Emperor Zarkon and his wife Honerva lay in state._

_Prolonged exposure to Quintessence coupled with her pregnancy cause Honerva’s health to fail, threatening both her and her unborn child. Frantic, Zarkon reaches out for help. He convinces the Paladins of Voltron to take her through the rift into the Quintessence field in the hope of saving them._

_Once in the Quintessence field, Zarkon and Honerva exit the Black Lion and receive direct exposure to the pure Quintessence. Concerned by this unexpected behavior by Zarkon, the other Voltron Paladins extract both he and Honerva from the Quintessence field, but it appears to everyone that they acted too late, and that Zarkon and Honerva are dead due to Quintessence poisoning._

_To close the rift to the Quintessence Field and protect the universe from the Dark Entities that live within it, King Alfor of Altea and the other Paladins are forced to destroy Diabazaal and scatter its inhabitants across the other planets within the Galra Empire._

_But Zarkon is not dead. While in the Quintessence Field, he absorbed a Dark Entity into his body._

_Living creatures as old as time itself, the Dark Entities have a duality to them. They may be agents of good, or agents of evil. Events will prove that the Dark Entity absorbed by Zarkon is not an agent of good._

_He now rises, slowly, from the place he was laid to rest. As his head clears, he looks to where Honerva was laid out, and sees the slab is empty. Honerva is sitting on the floor next to it, knees pulled up to her chin, the hood of her cloak pulled over her head. She too absorbed a Dark Entity while in the Quintessence Field. Her skin color is changed from its normal dark tan to bluish-purple, and her Altean markings are now long and menacing. Arms crossed in front of her, she is shivering and clutching at the shoulders of her cape. She has no idea who she is. The Dark Entity has robbed her of her identity._

_As Zarkon kneels to check on her, she recoils. “Who…who are you?”_

_“You do not recognize your Emperor?”_

_In a soft, halting, terrified voice she asks, “Who…am I?”_

_Realizing his wife is suffering from amnesia, Zarkon rises and proceeds to the door of the chamber, startling the guard. “Where am I?”_

_Surprised and terrified at the sight of his Emperor, whom he and everyone else on the ship presumed to be dead, the guard cautiously replies, “Aboard your ship, sir.”_

_“Take us home.”_

_“I…can’t sir. Diabazaal has been destroyed”_

_Incensed at this news, Zarkon issues a new order to the terrified sentry. “Get a doctor to this room immediately.” Striding past the guard, he proceeds down the corridor to the Bridge._

_Sprinting into the room, the doctor sees Honerva sitting on the floor, in obvious distress. She comes closer to check on her. “Excuse me, my Empress. I just need to…”_

_As the doctor begins to run a check on Honerva, her wrist is grabbed by her patient. Gasping, she says, “What are you doing? I need you to let go of me.” At that moment, the doctor is hit with dark magic from her patient, shocking her body and draining the Quintessence from it. Shrieking in terror, the doctor passes away._

_Hearing her cries, the guard rushes in the room and is horrified by what he sees. Sprinting to the doctor, he calls her name. “Haggar! Haggar, can you hear me? Haggar, answer me!” Realizing that Doctor Haggar is dead, the guard calls for help._

_Observing the scene, Honerva mutters one word. “Haggar.”_

**The Birth of Lotor (Flashback)**

_ Medical Bay, Galra Empire Flagship _

_Several quintants after her recovery from Quintessence poisoning, Honerva gives birth to Lotor._

_She has not fully regained her senses, and still suffers the amnesia brought on by the absorption of a Dark Entity within her._

_“Sire, the birth was difficult, but successful. Your son is healthy and in good shape, but we seem to be getting some strange readings coming from him directly. Similar to those that, well…similar to those of the Empress and yourself.”_

_As the doctor concludes his update to Zarkon, a nurse brings their newborn son to them. Presenting her son to Honerva, she turns away, showing no maternal instinct toward her child at all._

_As the infant Lotor begins to cry, he is presented to Zarkon. “Your son, sire.”_

_Looking on at the child with utter disdain, he tells the nurse, “Take him away.”_

_“But…”_

_“I said TAKE HIM AWAY!”_

_Turning to Honerva, he asks the doctor, “And what of her?”_

_“I’m sorry, sire. We have her under constant watch, but she remains in this state. She only seems to become aware when we administer her Quintessence. I’m hopeful her condition will improve with time, but…Sire, we’re going to have to face the fact that our Quintessence supplies are finite. The Empire cannot continue to run on what we have. And you and the Empress…without it, you’ll…”_

_“Give me the room.”_

_As the medical staff leave the room, Zarkon approaches Honerva. He wants to find out what she remembers and, more importantly, if she can be of any further use to him. “Do you know who I am?”_

_Honerva, in the grip of a drug-induced stupor, responds haltingly. “You are…Emperor.”_

_“And you?”_

_“Ha…Haggar?”_

_“Do you know of Quintessence?”_

_“Quintessence.”_

_“Can you find me Quintessence?”_

_“Yes, my Emperor.”_

_Honerva, the Altean master scientist, wife of Emperor Zarkon, is subverted. In her place rises her alter ego, Haggar the witch._

\---------------

Honerva’s Battleship (Present Day)

Pulling alongside the battered cruiser, Honerva discovers that Kova, her one-time pet, is still alive. Retrieving the frightened animal, Honerva has a flashback to the time he became Lotor’s pet.

**Lotor and Kova (Flashback)**

_ Throne Room, Galra Central Command _

_“Sire, your audience is requested in the Kandar Wing.”_

_Zarkon rises to meet with the ambassador from one of the many vassal planets in this sector of the universe. Prince Lotor, always eager to see and spend time with his father and learn Galra customs, sees an opportunity. “Father, may I accompany you?”_

_Standing, Zarkon tells his son, “You will stay here.”_

_“But I want to join you. I have learned much of our…”_

_“You are an insolent boy. You may be the Prince, but I am your Emperor.”_

_As Zarkon exits the throne room, the young Prince averts his eyes and salutes his father. As Zarkon approaches the door, Lotor shoots a hostile glare at his father. The glare is broken when a purring cat catches his attention._

_Bending to stroke the cat’s head, Haggar admonishes him._

_“Do not touch him. He will hurt you.”_

_At one time this cat was the pet and close companion of Honerva. Since Honerva’s corruption and subsequent transformation into Haggar, she largely ignores the cat._

_Like Prince Lotor, this cat is looking to connect with another being that will give it love. He finds that being in the form of the young Prince._

_Ignoring the admonishment, the Prince strokes the head of the purring animal and asks, “What is his name?”_

_Replying disdainfully, Haggar replies, “He has no name.”_

_“Then I shall name it. Your name will be…”_

_Before he can give a name, Haggar recalls a brief memory snippet from a happier time. “Kova. His name is Kova.”_

_Kova climbs on the shoulders of the young Prince and purrs in his ear. Laughing for one of the few times in his young life, Lotor relishes having a creature companion. “This creature pleases me. It will be mine.”_

_“My lord…”_

_“You may be the High Priestess, but I am your Prince, and you will do as I say.” Turning to his new pet, Lotor says, “Isn’t that right, Kova?”_

_Gritting her teeth while holding her temper, Haggar gives Lotor a measured reply. “Yes, my lord.”_

**The Promise**

Honerva’s Battleship

Returning from her flashback, with Kova beside her, Honerva makes a promise to Lotor.

“I will find you, my son.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The answers to those questions I asked at the beginning are:  
> 1\. Yes they did  
> 2\. No it most certainly is not.
> 
> I write this note on 8 August 2020. I started writing the Galra Chronicles roughly 19 and a half months ago, shortly after Season 8 of VLD dropped. Writing this series was my way of dealing with the way that season played out, and for those who are reading it I am more than happy to share it with you.  
> There are three more works in this series that make up Act III of the story of Voltron. Rejected by the Galra is the next work, and a companion work, The Marmoran Generals (the fourth work in this series), runs in parallel with it. The series concludes with the work titled The Seven Paladins.
> 
> I want to thank all of the readers of this work, and give a special shout-out to all of the people who left comments for me to ponder, chew on, and learn from. I truly appreciate all comments, and I do my best to respond to them. If you are so moved after reading this work, please let me know your thoughts.
> 
> With those words I will sign off from this work and leave it for others to read and enjoy.
> 
> Take care my friends and stay safe!


End file.
